This BAS online course will help you discern between weak and strong evidence for the historical reliability of the Bible, specifically regarding people in the Bible. Lawrence Mykytiuk will show the steps to identify them in sources outside the Bible. He will discuss figures we know from outside of the Bible, as well as how much confidence the available evidence permits in identifying biblical figures, plus possibilities regarding biblical events and sites.

Have questions about the program? Send an email to Peter Megginson (Travel Study Director) at [email protected] or call 800-221-4644, ext. 424 (Toll-free).

When Is the Course?

Live classes Mondays and Thursdays August 10–27, 2026 | 7:30–9:00pm EST (classes will be recorded)

This Course Includes

• 6 live classes, with a live Q&A session following each lecture
• Link to download the class recordings
• Reading materials provided by Dr. Mykytiuk

Lecture Overview

1. Introduction: In this session, Mykytiuk will tell the story of how he came to study inscriptions that relate to various biblical figures. We'll then discuss both deductive, theological and inductive, historical approaches to the question of biblical historicity. In connection with the inductive approach, we'll consider the need for protocols in working with inscriptions, especially the use of criteria for secure identification.

2. Methodology: When working with ancient inscriptions, in order to identify biblical figures correctly and reject unqualified “candidates,” proper protocols need to be followed. We can then assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of the available evidence.

3. Israelite Monarchs: For the United Monarchy, only one king (David) can be confirmed, but only as a king of Judah. By contrast, during the time of the divided monarchy, 16 biblical kings have been confirmed. Textual sources reference nine kings from the Northern Kingdom of Israel, while seven kings from the Southern Kingdom of Judah are attested. Interestingly, most of our sources come from the enemies of the two kingdoms.

4. Foreign Monarchs and Officials: About 25 of the roughly 160 foreign rulers (around 15 percent) mentioned in the Hebrew Bible can be confirmed in textual and archaeological sources. Similarly, among royal officials mentioned in the Bible, more than a dozen have been confirmed with certainty, strengthening biblical credibility.

5. Possible Identifications: In this lecture, we examine instances of possible identifications that cannot yet be confirmed based on the available evidence. In addition, we’ll look at exceptional cases where identifications of biblical figures seem possible to confirm through unique types of evidence (e.g., the prophet Balaam).

6. Conclusions and Future Research: Mykytiuk will summarize the total number of confirmed people known from sources outside of the Hebrew Bible. Class participants will then discuss and give their own ideas regarding the significance of such identifications when reconstructing biblical history. Finally, we will discuss future research, including the potential for discovering new evidence that may confirm “new” people, sites, and events from the Bible.

Your Instructor

Lawrence Mykytiuk is Emeritus Professor of Library Science and former Associate Professor of History (courtesy) at Purdue University. He holds a Ph.D. in Hebrew and Semitic Studies and is the author of Identifying Biblical Persons in Northwest Semitic Inscriptions of 1200–539 B.C.E. (2004).

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