Since these judgments were attributed to divine intervention, why is there no clear non-biblical record that attributes such destruction directly to a supernatural cause?

Overview of Divine Judgments and Historical Documentation

The scriptural narrative recounts several pivotal judgments—such as the plagues in Egypt (Exodus 7–12), the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19), and the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 6 and following). In each case, the Bible presents these judgments as supernatural acts of the Creator intervening in human affairs. Yet a frequent question arises: “If these disasters were so colossal, why do we not find explicit non-biblical records attributing them to divine or supernatural causes?”

Ancient Writing Practices and Selective Record-Keeping

Ancient societies often recorded significant events in ways that bolstered regional pride or underscored the power of their leaders and gods. Many royal chronicles were deliberately selective. Pharaohs, for example, were known to strike from their records any defeats that might undermine their authority. Similarly, other ancient cultures tended to document what would glorify their kings or deities while omitting losses or catastrophes linked to foreign powers.

In the case of Egypt’s plagues, non-biblical references exist that may allude to chaos or natural disasters during certain reigns, though they do not explicitly name the God of Israel. One example is the Ipuwer Papyrus, which some believe describes a time of extensive calamity and societal collapse. While it does not explicitly reference the biblical plagues, it is emblematic of how broader unrest was sometimes recounted in highly poetic or metaphorical terms, giving minimal credit to an outside deity.

Cultural Interpretation of Disasters

When disasters or military defeats occurred, ancient civilizations often attributed these events to their own local deities, astrological signs, or natural phenomena. The same event mentioned in Scripture as an act of Yahweh might be interpreted by another culture as a judgment from one of their pantheon or merely as an unexplained calamity.

For instance, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) is strong in biblical record. However, local cultures in that region might have described or explained large-scale conflagrations by associating them with meteorological events or with judgment from their own gods. Ancient texts typically reflect the theological lens of the people who wrote them.

Archaeological Findings and Geological Evidence

Some archaeological sites do suggest unusual patterns of destruction that align with biblical timelines:

• Excavations near Tall el-Hammam in the Jordan Valley have revealed a sudden and intense destruction layer that some propose corresponds to the biblical account of Sodom’s demise. Their findings include melted pottery and rock fragments that may indicate an extreme, rapid heat event, consistent with the biblical statement, “Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah” (Genesis 19:24). While these data might not explicitly mention the God of Israel, they can mirror the biblical record of an abrupt catastrophe.

• For Egypt’s historical record of calamities, certain stelae and hieroglyphic engravings reference harvest failures, unrest, and widespread death, though rarely are they ascribed to the God of the Hebrews. These records are often couched in general terms about chaos or represented as judgments from the Egyptian pantheon.

Why Other Nations Did Not Attribute Disasters to Israel’s God

1. National Pride and Propaganda: Leaders, especially in powerful nations like Egypt or Assyria, hesitated to acknowledge a rival deity’s dominion or might have suppressed humiliating accounts. This practice is well documented in various kings’ records, where only victories or favorable outcomes tend to be showcased.

2. Polytheistic Worldview: Many ancient societies believed in multiple gods. Disasters could be imputed to an array of spiritual influences, including astrological portents. Thus, a single great God of Israel acting in judgment was alien to their belief system, so their texts might attribute the same event to a different source.

3. Oral Traditions vs. Official Chronicles: Much of the historical data in the ancient Near East was preserved orally before being written down—and official inscriptions were typically filtered through political or religious agendas. Undesirable or threatening narratives were often ignored, destroyed, or replaced.

Consistency Within Biblical Accounts

Scripture presents a coherent narrative of divine interventions tied to God’s covenant promises and warnings. Such themes appear consistently throughout:

• Exodus 12:29: “And at midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt…” This event is clearly recorded as a supernatural act. Egyptian texts, however, often attempt to mask disasters to maintain the pharaoh’s divinity in public perception.

• Joshua 6:20: “When the people heard the blast of the trumpet, they shouted a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city collapsed…” Many ancient cultures described city conquests from purely human or mythological angles, rarely conceding that a foreign deity provided victory.

The Bible's internal consistency regarding these events—supported by genealogical records, thematic unity, and repeated affirmations of divine judgment—forms a cornerstone of its historical reliability from a faith perspective. This theological lens is unique and does not always align with other nations’ views.

Philosophical Considerations and Interpretation of Evidence

1. Viewing History Through Multiple Lenses: Historical data is subject to interpretation. A person inclined toward a supernatural worldview sees the hand of God where another might see coincidence.

2. The Challenge of Incomplete Records: Even in relatively better-documented epochs, many key events go unrecorded or remain lost to time. Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, despite extensive archaeological findings, still contain large gaps where certain periods remain opaque to modern research.

3. Attribution of Cause: Many cultures used figurative language to describe destruction: references to “the gods fighting” might align with biblical descriptions of divine intervention, even if not naming the God of Israel. Convergence of details—like unique signs, timing, or widespread devastation—can suggest a link, though the attributions differ.

Illustrative Non-Biblical Parallels

Outside the boundaries of Israel, events of extraordinary upheaval are sometimes recorded in cryptic or symbolic fashion:

• The Greek historian Herodotus notes various omens or unusual phenomena leading up to large-scale disasters or wars, yet these references rarely name a cause from outside his cultural pantheon.

• The Merneptah Stele (13th century BC) briefly mentions Israel as a people group defeated by Pharaoh Merneptah, but it does not delve into supernatural causes that might have led to Egyptian misfortunes.

These parallels underscore how other ancient writers acknowledged crises but couched them in the framework of their nation’s respective religious or political ideology.

Maintaining Theological Coherence

Just because non-Israelite records do not explicitly attribute these events to Yahweh does not negate their historicity or divine origin. Scripture’s purpose includes revealing God’s sovereignty and redemptive plan (cf. Isaiah 46:9–10). Historical validation within the text itself consistently ties these judgments to the Creator’s ongoing relationship with humanity, which may not have been recognized or admitted in non-biblical realms.

Conclusion: Recognizing the Divergent Perspectives

The absence of explicit supernatural references in non-biblical accounts arises from cultural bias, selective documentation, and polytheistic interpretation. Ancient scribes favored records that upheld their rulers and deities, omitting or reconfiguring the narratives of foreign divine interventions. Archaeological evidence can corroborate widespread disasters that match biblical contexts, yet different cultures naturally attribute them to diverse religious frameworks.

Scripturally, these events are understood as direct acts of God—consistent within the biblical witness, theologically significant in the covenant narrative, and pointing to divine providence and judgment. Non-biblical silence or alternate explanations do not overturn these supernatural foundations; they highlight the varied ways ancient societies interpreted and recorded history.