The Gospels have been subjected to historical inquiry for hundreds of years and came out none the worst. The Quran has been spared this intensity of scrutiny in the past. The age of internet facilitates research sharing and corroboration. Inevitably a growing number of private enterprises focus their magnifying glass on the Book out of academic fascination or polemical pursuits, in what has been essentially a virgin field. This effort has thrown up many interesting aspects that demand scholarly response but which has yet to hit mainstream historical researchers.
“Historical method is the collection of techniques and guidelines that historians use to research and write histories of the past. Secondary sources, primary sources and material evidence such as that derived from archaeology may all be drawn on, and the historian's skill lies in identifying these sources, evaluating their relative authority, and combining their testimony appropriately in order to construct an accurate and reliable picture of past events and environments.” Wikipedia
Anachronism is the attribution of events or things to a period which they do not belong. The Quran suffers from numerous lapses of anachronism. Let’s examine an instance here.
Surah 12-20:
وَشَرَوْهُ بِثَمَنٍۭ بَخْسٍۢ دَرَٰهِمَ مَعْدُودَةٍۢ وَكَانُوا۟ فِيهِ مِنَ ٱلزَّٰهِدِينَ
Google translation:
“And they sold him for a reduced price - a few dirhams - and they were, concerning him, of those content with little.”
This verse relates to the story in the Old Testament of Joseph, the youngest son of Jacob. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him and they schemed to kill him. Eventually the brothers sold Joseph to some traveling merchants passing by on their way to Egypt.
In the days of Old Testament people paid for goods and services in metals such as silver and gold. The most commonly known weight was shekel. There are higher and lower denominations of shekels.
The relationship of the weights known as talent, maneh, shekel, beka and gerah can be determined from the Gospels and other written records.
1 Talent = 60 Manehs
1 Maneh = 50 Shekels
1 Shekel = 2 Beka
1 Beka = 10 Gerahs.
Two other weights are pim and kesitah. The absolute value of pim can be determined from archaeological finds. Kesitah is an archaic weight whose metrological value is lost.
All these are just terms of weight, just like present day pounds, grams, or tons. The relationship laid out nicely such that if we know what is the weight in present day term of say grams for shekel, for example, then we know the weight of talent, maneh, beka, and gerahs.
Shekel, being the most common, so there will be pieces of silver with this weight. Goods may be sold at say, 2 shekels of silver. Then 2 pieces of silver at 1 shekel each change hands.
The Chinese were the first to use minted coins with the advent of bronze-cast coinage (771 – 221 BC). In Western history, the first coins were found in today’s Turkey dated to 700 BC during the Lydian Empire. Dirham, as a currency used in the Levant, came only in late 7th century AD.
The Quran has a huge problem - it is out by over a thousand years. As the standard Islamic narrative goes, the Quran was put together sometime 7th - 8th century AD. An exegetical reading points to the writer inadvertently inserting the real world currency into scripture, a coinage which was not in use till a thousand years later. It was an error noticed by neither man nor God. If it indeed was human error, which is understandable, then the Quran has a larger problem. It claims for itself to be the true exact words of God, thereby error-proof, is immutable, has not changed one single word or letter for 1,400 years, and is protected by God.
Let’s compare to what the Gospel says.
Genesis 37:28 (KJV 1900)
“Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.”
The brothers were paid with 20 pieces of silver that weighed 20 shekels. The Bible got it right that the price was pieces of metal. Coins were not yet in use.
The Bible does not provide a wishy-washy “a few Dirhams” but a specific price of 20 shekels of silver. The danger of being too specific is, can it stand up to historical evidence. During the Patriarchal Age (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) Egypt was an importer of slaves from the Levant up to Lebanon. Inflation was also an economic phenomenon the ancients had to suck up to. The reference price for slaves depends on the relevant period. During the 2nd millennium BC, which was Joseph’s time, historical records show Asiatic slaves fetched about 5 to 15 shekels while Semitic slaves commanded a higher rate. 20 shekels was common. Joseph indeed would have fetched 20 shekels, supporting what the Bible said. The reason for the premium on Semitic slaves is they were given higher level tasks like scribes and supervision of Asiatic slaves.
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