British Museum Tours
For a number of years, I have taken regular tours of the British Museum to show people the incredible archaeological collection we are so privileged to have such easy access to in the United Kingdom. There are a large number of different artifacts on display which have a connection with nearly all the important periods and events of the Old Testament. On the tour, I seek to explain what each artifact is, and how it links with the OT.
Some of the most dramatic are:
A Brick from the time of the Exodus
This is the sort of brick the Israelite slaves were forced to make during their oppression in Egypt. The brick is made with mud, with straw to strengthen it. After Moses made the request to Pharaoh to let the people go, the Israelites had to gather the straw for themselves (Ex 5:7).
Shebna’s tomb
This stone was discovered outside Jerusalem, where it formed the lintel above the entrance of a tomb. The inscription says it belongs to “Shebna, who is over the house”. Isaiah spoke a word of prophecy against a person called Shebna for building a tomb for himself (Is 22:15-19). If this is the same person, then Isaiah saw this actual piece of stone, and spoke against Shebna for building it.
Prayer for Belshazzar
For many years there was no archaeological evidence for a king of Babylon called Belshazzar, who saw the writing in the wall during his feast (Dan 5). This cylinder, found in the foundation of a temple in Ur, contains a prayer by Nabonidus, the king of Babylon, for himself and his son Belshazzar.
The Cyrus Cylinder
This famous inscription describes the capture of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia, and his edict allowing the people captured by the Babylonians to return home with financial aid from the government. One of the groups returning home would be the Jews, led by their leader Zerubbabel (Ezra 1).
If you have a group from your church or college who would like to have a tour of the museum, please use the Contact Julian link to send me an email, and we can arrange dates and costs. I can take tours of between ten and twenty people at a time. The tour takes between three and four hours, with a break for lunch.