1. The Exodus (The Israelites’ Escape from Egypt)
Biblical Claim: The Israelites, led by Moses, escaped from Egypt after a series of plagues and wandered in the desert for 40 years.Exodus 12:37-38 – Claims that about 600,000 Israelite men (plus women and children) left Egypt.
Contradicting Evidence:No archaeological evidence supports a mass exodus of this scale (~2 million people).
Egyptian records, which are well-documented, do not mention such an event.
Extensive archaeological surveys of the Sinai Peninsula (e.g., Finkelstein & Silberman, The Bible Unearthed) found no evidence of large-scale settlements from that time.

2. The Global Flood (Noah’s Ark)
Biblical Claim: A global flood covered the entire earth, and Noah saved all species of animals on an ark.Genesis 7:19-20 – States that the flood covered all the high mountains under the heavens.
Contradicting Evidence:Geological records do not support a global flood. Instead, floods in Mesopotamia (like the one recorded in the Epic of Gilgamesh, predating the biblical account) likely inspired the story.
Genetic diversity among animals and humans contradicts a recent bottleneck of all life.
Ancient civilizations, such as those in Egypt and Mesopotamia, continued uninterrupted during the supposed time of the flood.

3. The Fall of Jericho
Biblical Claim: The Israelites destroyed the city of Jericho after its walls miraculously collapsed.Joshua 6:20 – The walls fell after the Israelites marched around the city and blew trumpets.
Contradicting Evidence:Archaeological excavations (e.g., Kathleen Kenyon in the 1950s) show that Jericho’s walls had already been destroyed centuries before the supposed conquest (c. 1400 BCE).
There is no evidence of a large-scale military destruction of Jericho at the time described in the Bible.

4. Creation of the Earth in Six Days
Biblical Claim: God created the world in six literal days.Genesis 1:1-31 – Describes the creation of the universe in six days, including plants before the sun.
Contradicting Evidence:The universe is about 13.8 billion years old, and Earth is about 4.5 billion years old (confirmed by radiometric dating and cosmic background radiation).
Evolutionary biology and fossil records show that life developed over billions of years, not in a few days.

5. The Census of Quirinius (Jesus’ Birth Narrative)
Biblical Claim: A Roman census required Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem, leading to Jesus’ birth there.Luke 2:1-3 – Mentions a census under Quirinius when Augustus was emperor.
Contradicting Evidence:Historical records show that Quirinius’ census took place around 6 CE, but Matthew’s Gospel places Jesus’ birth during Herod the Great’s reign, which ended in 4 BCE—a clear contradiction.
Roman censuses did not require people to travel to their ancestral homes; they were conducted where people lived and owned property

Karen Armstrong, in The Bible: A Biography, explores how various groups and traditions have grappled with the contradictions between the Old Testament’s portrayal of a seemingly wrathful and violent God and the New Testament’s emphasis on love and mercy. Here’s an overview of key groups that have engaged in this interpretive effort, along with their historical contexts:

1. Early Jewish Interpretation (c. 500 BCE–1st century CE)

• Rabbinic Judaism: The rabbis developed midrashic interpretations to reconcile difficult passages in the Torah, often portraying God’s justice as ultimately merciful.
• Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 BCE–50 CE): A Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, Philo used allegory to harmonize the seemingly harsh laws of the Torah with Greek philosophical ideals of divine goodness.

2. Early Christian Theologians (1st–4th centuries CE)

• Jesus and the Apostles (1st century CE): The New Testament itself wrestles with Old Testament themes. For example, Jesus reinterprets the law (Matthew 5:17-48), emphasizing love over strict legalism.
• Marcionites (2nd century CE): Marcion of Sinope (c. 85–160 CE) found the Old Testament’s God irreconcilable with the loving God of Jesus. He proposed that the Old Testament God was a lesser, harsh deity (the Demiurge), separate from the true, loving God of the New Testament.
• Church Fathers (2nd–4th centuries CE): Origen (c. 185–253 CE) and Augustine (354–430 CE) sought to harmonize the two portrayals of God. Origen favored allegory, while Augustine emphasized that God’s justice and love were compatible.

3. Medieval Theological Approaches (5th–15th centuries)

• Scholasticism (11th–13th centuries CE): Thinkers like Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) argued that divine justice and mercy were not opposed but were different aspects of the same God.
• Mystics and Monastics (e.g., Julian of Norwich, 14th century): Some medieval mystics emphasized God’s love and mercy over divine wrath.

4. Protestant Reformation and Enlightenment (16th–18th centuries)

• Reformers (16th century): Martin Luther (1483–1546) and John Calvin (1509–1564) saw God’s justice and wrath as necessary to understand grace, rather than as a contradiction.
• Deists and Rationalists (17th–18th centuries): Some Enlightenment thinkers, like Thomas Jefferson, rejected the violent depictions of God, preferring a rational, moral deity.

5. Modern Liberal Theology (19th–20th centuries)

• Liberal Protestantism (19th century): Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768–1834) and others downplayed divine wrath, emphasizing the ethical teachings of Jesus.
• Process Theology (20th century): Thinkers like Alfred North Whitehead and John Cobb argued that God is evolving and not omnipotently coercive, which shifts away from wrathful portrayals.

6. Contemporary Theological Movements (21st century)

• Progressive Christianity: Many modern scholars and theologians focus on the Bible as a human document reflecting evolving understandings of God.
• Postcolonial and Feminist Readings: Some argue that violent portrayals of God are cultural and should be reinterpreted through a lens of liberation and justice.

These movements reflect ongoing attempts to reconcile different portrayals of God, often influenced by historical, cultural, and philosophical contexts.

Confirmed by Archaeology:
The Tel Dan Inscription: Discovered in 1993 at Tel Dan in northern Israel, this 9th-century BCE Aramaic stele references the “House of David,” providing the earliest extra-biblical evidence of King David’s dynasty. 
en.wikipedia.org

Hezekiah’s Tunnel and the Siloam Inscription: King Hezekiah of Judah commissioned a tunnel to secure Jerusalem’s water supply during the Assyrian siege, as described in 2 Kings 20:20. The tunnel, along with an inscription detailing its construction, has been excavated, confirming the biblical account. 
biblearchaeologyreport.com

The Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone): Discovered in 1868 in Dhiban, Jordan, the Mesha Stele dates to the 9th century BCE and was commissioned by King Mesha of Moab. The inscription details Mesha’s rebellion against the Kingdom of Israel, events that are also recorded in 2 Kings 3. This artifact provides a Moabite perspective on the conflicts described in the Bible, corroborating the existence of the Israelite kingdom and its interactions with neighboring states.
For more information, you can refer to the following source:
Mesha Stele – Wikipedia
This example highlights how archaeological findings can align with and support the historical narratives presented in the Old Testament.

Challenged by Archaeology:

Domestication of Camels: Studies indicate that camels were not domesticated in the Levant until around the 9th century BCE. However, the patriarchal narratives in Genesis mention camels as pack animals, suggesting an anachronism since these stories are set much earlier. timesofisrael.com

The Exodus Narrative: Despite extensive searches, archaeologists have not found direct evidence corroborating the mass exodus of Israelites from Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus. This absence has led some scholars to question the historicity of this event. probe.org

Conquest of Canaan: Archaeological findings at several sites, such as Jericho and Ai, suggest that these cities were uninhabited or did not experience destruction during the period the Israelites are said to have conquered Canaan, challenging the biblical conquest narrative. time.com

Can the Bible be linked to a deity?
Link above to article about Bible Authorship