AMAZING FACTS Daily Devotionals Preserved Forever. February 16th, 2026 Imagine brushing away dirt from an ancient piece of pottery and finding an inscription that mentions the name of a Bible character whose existence has been questioned by critics of the Bible. Archaeology has repeatedly affirmed the historical reliability of God’s Word even though some scholars argue that the record of the Bible cannot be trusted. One of the earliest archaeological finds relating to the Bible is a large, black basalt rock called the Moabite Stone. Discovered in 1868, this three- foot-three-inch tall stele commemorates the successful revolt of the king of Moab against Israelite control. It provides information not explained in the Bible about the role of Omri (1 Kings 16:21–28) in regaining control over this kingdom. In 1935, James Starkey discovered 21 ostraca (fragments of clay pottery with writing) in excavations at Lachish, a city in the lowland of Judah. They were a series of letters written during the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s sieges and indicate the writer’s hopes for help from Egypt. The Lachish letters provide some of the last words of Judah as it tried to survive the attacks of Babylon. The city finally fell, as did Jerusalem. One of the greatest manuscript discoveries that affirms the accuracy of the Bible was the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1948. They date back a century before the time of Jesus and contain all of the Old Testament books (except Esther). Compared to later manuscripts, they show the incredible preservation of the biblical text. Historical artifacts have proven many times over that the Bible is accurate and true. Manuscript evidence supporting the Bible has also shown the Scriptures to be the best-documented book in the ancient world. Apply It: Read or watch an account of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and learn how these manuscripts affirm the careful transmission of the Bible through the ages. Dig Deeper: Jeremiah 34:1–7; John 7:17; 2 Timothy 2:15