Evidence For The Bible

More and more skeptics are downplaying the teaching of conservative Christians that the Bible is the divinely inspired  Word of God. They would argue that the Bible is a book of myths or stories made up many generations ago by wild-eyed fanatical Jewish prophets. Further they would argue that there is no proof separate and apart from the Scriptures themselves that would verify the facts stated in the Bible. Therefore, they would argue you cannot prove the validity of the Bible by quoting the Bible.  They make this argument knowing full well that it is not true and they usually say such things to young people who are not prepared to answer their arguments.
   
I will give just one simple illustration of which their are enough to write a book on evidences. The proof I offer is in the field of archaeology. In 1879 archaeologists discovered a clay cylinder in Iraq (biblical Babylon). It was only 9 inches long but long enough to record something King Cyrus of Persia did 2,500 years ago. It said that Cyrus allowed a group of people to return to their homeland and rebuild their "holy cities."
   
In the book of Ezra the Lord moved Cyrus to release the Jews to go home to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. (Ezra 1:2-5) Those skeptics deny this knowing the truth of this discovery primarily because the Bible requires things of them they don't want to do and "disproving" the Bible salves their conscience.