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YHWH Exists

Is Scripture myth or truth? Literature or history?  Modern scholars claim that Israel’s history as recorded in Scripture never happened. It is simply literature that tells one nation’s view of their world. Is this claim accurate?

Never before has a book so thoroughly explored the archaeology, history, and theology of Israel’s Scriptures to find such a simple, logical solution. By discovering the vast evidence that dismantles the man-made foundations of modern religion-you can begin your own personal quest to return to the simple, compelling faith of Abraham, King David, and the prophet Isaiah. Join Jodell Onstott in this epic investigation that reveals the intelligent, logical faith delivered by God to an ancient nation in YHWH Exists.

Excerpts:  Introductions:  Seek and Ye Shall FindOn God’s NameChapter 1:  Concepts of TruthChapter 3:  Jacob’s Ladder – Songs of Ascent found in the Etymology of Israel’s CovenantsChapter 8:  Who Wrote the Hebrew Bible?Chapter 9:  Chronology of the Book of the Kings of Israel and JudahChapter 11:  Critical Issues:  The Canann Conquest

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Meet The Author

In YHWH Exists, Jodell Onstott shares a personal journey of evaluating the credibility of the Bible while considering the challenges of archaeology, the Documentary Hypothesis, and the ethics of the Bible’s overall theology. Grounded on firm scholarship, this investigation presents one of the most formidable challenges for modern Judaism and Christianity.

Quite surprisingly, the evidence uncovered in this ground-breaking investigation also demonstrates the validity of Israel’s history, showing that vast archaeological and epigraphic evidence exists for Israel’s exodus from Egypt and conquest of Canaan.

The light that Jodell sheds on these complex issues may challenge your comfort zone because questioning your beliefs has a certain risk of uncertainty and suspense. But in the end, YHWH Exists is an uplifting read. Here is a journey of a woman who persevered to challenge preconceived ideas and discovered a textual-based theology that takes the Bible out of the hands of scholars, sages, and theologians by empowering the reader with the tools of scholarship to seek and find for him or herself.

Preface

Having been raised a Seventh-Day Adventist, I have had a relationship with God for as long as I can remember. As an Adventist, I often felt the sting of being different from the more mainstream religions: we didn’t go to football games on Friday night, we didn’t dance, we didn’t wear jewelry, and we went to church on Saturday instead of Sunday. I was taught that Adventism was the “true church.” We were the “true Christians.” Other denominations and believers either lacked a certain degree of sincerity or had somehow “missed the boat” in their belief system. We had a prophet, Ellen White, who cleared up a great deal of the fuzzy doctrine in the Old and New Testaments as she unveiled a religion that spoke to man’s heart. Other churches didn’t have our health message or our Sabbath. We were somehow set apart and more right than other denominations.
Funny thing: I grew older and came in contact with other people “in the world.” I discovered they had been raised in the “true” church as well. My Baptist friends were more right than my Catholic friends, while my Church of God friends interpreted their doctrine more accurately than did my Church of Christ friends. In turn, my Messianic friends were sure they had it together better than any other religion out there.
This started to bother me. I wondered how each of us could have been taught so many different doctrines that were supposed to be right yet were considered wrong by other denominations. I knew that Seventh-Day Adventists didn’t have all truth and neither did Baptists or Catholics; so I was left wondering what separates truth from error or good from evil. What made one belief right and another wrong? Was truth something man could decide for himself, or did it need to be God-given? I had been around long enough to know there were no simple answers. One Scripture passage could be interpreted five different ways, each meriting validity. These questions gnawed at my heart and soul. Why would God allow us to believe conflicting ideas about right and wrong?
About fifteen years ago, I read a couple of books that changed my life. Quite by accident, my spouse and I purchased a book that questioned Scripture’s validity. The evidence was just as believable as the evidence that I knew existed for the varying interpretations of a particular Scripture passage. Compellingly, these books had science, history, and other academic research to back them up. I faced a dilemma. The relationship I had with my Creator was real; I had been through too much in my life to dismiss it lightly, but I also knew that my conscience could not rest until I found out for myself the truth to these difficult questions. I realized that questions relating to Scripture’s validity were intricately entwined with doctrinal issues. What school of truth did the Creator actually sanction?

So, on the verge of becoming agnostic, I set out on a quest that lasted over a decade: to ascertain whether God existed. I needed to know if he was real or just a figment of my imagination. I threw away everything I had been taught, even cherished beliefs (that I had held so near and dear to my heart) in order to start from scratch. I could not dictate what God’s word said; it had to speak for itself. Did God have any one particular truth? The following pages are the result of my study. I would not trade the knowledge I’ve gained from my research for anything in the world. I know God exists. I’ve seen his existence not only in my life but also through the very history and science that most scholars claim disprove him. He is real! His commands are there for our good—for our protection and blessing. What has satisfied my logical mind more than anything else is having found a nonconflicting set of doctrines that answer the many hard questions I had regarding Scripture’s validity. Best of all, God’s doctrine actually makes sense!

I thought others might wrestle with the same questions I had. I decided to prepare a case study from which I hope others will benefit. Before I present my evidence, I want to let you know how this book is organized. First, I based a significant portion of my research on the polemics of the very academics who claim that Scripture is nothing but folktales and reactionary political propaganda. My analysis defers to scholars who are foremost in their field of study. Second, wherever possible, I tried to use sources that are readily accessible on the internet or at local libraries. This way, if the reader wishes to verify a point or research a topic further, the resources are at his or her fingertips. Third, I tried to define Hebrew words using generally accepted, uncontroversial sources. The Hebrew meanings are usually based on the Brown, Driver, Briggs’ Lexicon as well as Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. Fourth, letter points, such as (a) and (b) and emphasis, such as underlining, have been inserted into passages to aid further analysis. I hope these techniques will enable the reader to criticize issues without merely assuming that my points are valid. Rather, the reader can access specific elements to evaluate the evidence for him or herself.

I endeavored to keep my discussions conversational while maintaining integrity that merits the distinction of scholarship. My arguments are presented chronologically by building on the previous chapters’ conclusions.

Therefore, the reader will find that a sequential approach to reading this book is the most worthwhile approach. I hope this research will encourage further studies of this nature, fostering and rekindling interest in scholarship on authoritative Scripture.

Sample Pages

Excerpts

Introductions:  Seek and Ye Shall Find

On God’s Name

Chapter 1:  Concepts of Truth

Chapter 3:  Jacob’s Ladder – Songs of Ascent found in the Etymology of Israel’s Covenants

Chapter 8:  Who Wrote the Hebrew Bible?

Chapter 9:  Chronology of the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah

Chapter 11:  Critical Issues:  The Canann Conquest

Reviews

Peter van der Veen, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

YHWH Exists is a very profound study, which covers an incredible range of topics related to the Biblical History of ancient Israel. I recommend especially the part dealing with the chronology of Biblical Israel and particularly so that of the time of the Sojourn and the Exodus. One may disagree about a small number of years here and there, but Jodell Onstott has presented a vast amount of data, which undoubtedly show that the late date currently held by most scholars is truly untenable. This is also supported by a fair amount of archaeological evidence. To cut things short: this is a great and recommendable study!

Peter van der Veen
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

Dr. James D. Tabor

This is a substantial book, a serious and formidable work, by a non-specialist who devoted over a decade to sorting through the academic and scholarly discussions and controversies dealing with the historical and archaeological evidence related to the texts of the Hebrew Bible. Is there evidence for the biblical Exodus? What are we to make of the various chronologies of the ancient world compared and contrasted with those in the Hebrew Bible and Greek Septuagint? Is the Torah a unified whole or a composite product stemming from many sources? How might the laws of the Torah be interpreted and do they have any relevance in our modern world? What about the various covenants found therein? How do the prophetic portions of the Torah and the Hebrew Bible as a whole fit in with the legislative foundation and the unfolding history of the people of Israel? able.

Dr. James D. Tabor

Marlene L VanHooser

YHWH Exists” FAR EXCEEDED my wildest expectations. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I have said that if I had to go to the proverbial deserted island with just one book, I’d beg to be able to take two: my Bible, and YHWH Exists.  This book is not a light read. But that’s what I like about it. It is unbelievably full of scholarly proofs. This is definitely not a book of speculations, or of rehashed, pre-chewed traditional, “safe” ideas. I find it hard to believe that ANYone could read it, no matter how much of a student you are yourself, and not have your eyes opened to things you had not seen, or considered.

Marlene L VanHooser