Greece and Biblical Archaeology

Greece, the Preparer of the Gospel 

The above painting is a close up of the familiar bust of Alexander the Great.

Ancient Greece

Greece is the country located at the southeastern portion of Europe, just east of Italy. It is a land of islands and peninsulas, with astonishing bays, inlets, and numerous rigid mountains along the Mediterranean, Ionian, and Aegean Seas. The Greeks descended from Javan, the fourth son of Japheth, the son of Noah. The ancient Greeks and Romans referred to Greece as "Hellas". The Hebrews called it" Javan" after the son of Japheth, Noah's third son who dwelt there after the Tower of Babel. It is interesting that because of the geography of Greece the people formed many independent city-states, and within these little city-states democracy and political freedom was achieved for the first time in history of mankind. The Greeks were powerful warriors and they united under the leadership of Alexander the Great of Macedon. They moved eastward defeating everyone that stood against them. At that time the Persian Empire was the world governing empire and Alexander defeated them at every battle with a handful of men in comparison to the hordes of Persian soldiers. The Book of Daniel in the Bible predicted the coming of Alexander and the Greeks. What is most interesting is that the Greeks Hellenized the conquered lands, meaning that they were assimilated to Greek ideas and Greek civilization. The Greek language became the "Lingua Franca" of the whole world, thus providing a means to facilitate the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world. When Rome conquered their domain they created roads and safety throughout the Roman Empire.

Bible Prophecy and Alexander

The most amazing is the clear prediction of the rise of the Medo-Persian empire and its defeat by an invincible "Grecian King." After this king there would be four successors who would rise after him in their own power (see Daniel 8:20-22 and Daniel 8:8). These were his four generals (Seleucus, Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander). According to history after Alexander suddenly died in Babylon there was intense fighting among his generals over the division of the new empire. In 301 BC there was a decision made to give the East to Seleucus, Egypt to Ptolemy, Thrace and Asia Minor to Lysimachus, and Macedonia and Greece to Cassander.

There have been numerous archaeological discoveries regarding the history of Greece and all in confirmation of the historicity of the Bible.

Biblical Archaeology and Ancient Greece