Biblical Egyptology Course

Final Essay for Biblical Egyptology

The Biblical Egyptology course presents and discusses many pieces of evidence to support the Biblical Exodus of the Jews from Egypt and the existence of the man Moses. The primary textbook for the course is “A History of Ancient Egypt” by Nicolas Grimal. It is interesting that this text states on page 258 that there are no surviving Egyptian sources, which describe the Exodus. Yet the course provides Egyptian evidence such as steles, papyrus, and documents of painted stone.

The window of time in which the Exodus likely occurred is from the 12^th to the 19^thth Egyptian dynasty. Sources put the 12^th dynasty at approximately 1985 – 1795 B.C.E. The Exodus likely occurred between the 16^th dynasty and the rule of one of the first four pharaohs of the 19^th dynasty, which would be approximately 1600 - 1200 B.C.E. Egyptian dynasties. Many scholars believe the time of Biblical Joseph, the famine, and the Jews migrating to Egypt was the 12

Mention is made of a documentary created by Simcha Jacobovici called “Exodus Decoded”. This documentary can be seen on TV or possibly rented from a library. Much compelling evidence of the Exodus is presented and the likely year is identified. Of course, this information is quite compelling due to the dramatic television style of presentation. Still it was quite interesting and worth viewing.

Let us turn to some of the specific evidence presented in the course. On the Merneptah Stele there is reference to Merneptah’s victory over the Israelites in Palestine. The Stele indicates the Israelites had already left Egypt by the time of Merneptah’s reign. Merneptah was the son of Ramses II and the fourth pharaoh of the 19^th dynasty. Though this might not indicate a mass Exodus, it does indicate that there were hostilities between the Jews and Egyptians at this time and that the Jews were no longer in Egypt.

Some accept the Quran as corroborating evidence of the Exodus, since it tells of the Exodus story. But, it is questionable as evidence because it was written much later than the Old Testament and even the New Testament. The source of the information it contains about the Exodus could have come from the Old Testament.

One of the most intriguing pieces of supporting evidence of the Exodus is “Hecataeus, His Work, and the Jewish Excursus”. This is transcribed literature from c.400 B.C.E. This document says the “aliens (believed to be the Jews) were driven from the country (Egypt)”. It says most were driven into Judea and were headed by a man called Moses. This document could be a re-telling of the Exodus story from the Old Testament. However, it does include much other information not found in the Old Testament. For example it states that some of the aliens driven from the country were “cast ashore in Greece and certain other regions”. This is a topic investigated more thoroughly in the “Exodus Decoded” documentary.

Another piece of supporting evidence is the writings of Artapanus. He was a Jewish historian. His writings were transcribed by Eusebius, who had influence in the Council of Nicea, around 300 A.D. These writings contain the Exodus story.

This course presents many tangible items of evidence for the Biblical account of Moses and Exodus. They support Moses and Exodus, but do not provide dates or name the pharaohs of the Exodus time period clearly enough to be certain of which pharaoh it was and thus provide us with an approximate date based on the dynasty. There is a document available known as a “king’s list”, which list the order of pharaohs and the dynasty in which they reigned. Various Egyptologists have created different versions and provided the years of reign for each pharaoh along with the dynasty.

The literary accounts of Manetho and Josephus provide the more credible accounts that confirm the Exodus. Josephus lived from 37 A.D. to 100 A.D. (approximately) and became known as Titus Flavius Josephus. He was a Jewish historian who recorded the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. He has many writings which are available today in book form. He transcribed the writings of Artapanus and Manetho.

Manetho was an Egyptian priest and lived from 305 B.C. to 285 B.C. He interpreted ancient Egyptian records and kings lists. No complete versions of his writings are available today. But, Josephus preserved extracts of his writings. Josephus identifies the Israelite Exodus with the first Exodus mentioned by Manetho.

Much account is given in this course of the Hyksos, which are likely a Semitic culture, possibly the Jews who left Egypt in the Exodus event. Evidence of two Exodus like events is presented. Enough evidence is presented supporting the Biblical Exodus to cause one to believe it did indeed happen.

Rev. Tyler

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Biblical Egyptology

             The question regarding the existence of proof supporting the Biblical Exodus was dealt with exhaustively contained in this learning experience.  When I underwent theological training thirty many years ago, I had been taught that there was absolutely no proof external from the Bible supporting the Exodus.  That was the prevailing view among intellectuals with the day time, but Dr. Federspiel has done a great job of updating my knowledge on the subject, as well as I would’ve to agree together with him that there is certainly indeed substantial evidence supporting aspects of the Biblical story.  She did not give absolute proof in the Exodus, but there is certainly a preponderance of evidence that a thing approximating the Biblical version happened nearly three thousand five hundred several years ago.

            Although I was instructed there was no extra Biblical evidence supporting the Exodus, I accepted its existence as both a normal matter of faith as well as using the knowledge that the Bible was not written as being a fictional story but was attempting to be factual along with was taken very seriously by Jews, Muslims, as well as Christians.  Though I acquired been taught that the first eleven chapters of Genesis had been essentially tribal myth and not to have gotten taken literally, from Abraham on, there was extra Biblical support and archeology has supported the facts quite well.  The numbers might have been exaggerated or numerological schemes, but there was support with the existence of your people and places discussed in the text.  Because the Exodus was included inside part of the Bible dealing with history along with was taken by the Hebrew men and women as factual, I have always accepted the simple facts in the story.  That does not mean that I accepted all the events as literally heart-felt, as they ended up recollections of men and women carried through the centuries, of a heroic history.  We from the modern times frequently exaggerate the exploits of our ancestors, and I had expected no less from the Children of Israel, on the other hand in the simple facts, I always thought there must be a general actuality, that would include their appearance in Egypt hundreds of years prior to the Exodus, as well as the leadership of a particular person by the name of Moses to take a group of Semitic individuals out of that land.  It didn't need to seem like the Hollywood version with the story to be generally real.  There may have been a seemingly small number of Jews departing Egypt and settling contained in Palestine for that story to be genuine contained in my thoughts.  Dr. Federspiel has convinced me that my assumption was indeed correct as well as some thing indeed happened.  Furthermore, although it seems that a great deal of Egyptian history was lost to internal squabbling, fighting, wars, along with healthy disasters, ample circumstantial empirical proof exists to support the presence of quite a large number of Semites contained in Egypt who showed up in Jerusalem.

            I was interested to learn that a staff was found inside the crypt of Jordan of Tuthmoses IV –Moses II inscribed together with Egyptian hieroglyphic symbols along with Graham Phillips presumed it belonged to Moses.   Though it truly is not proof, it really is an interesting theory which I have the feeling needs further analysis.  Certainly it proves that Egyptian as well as Semitic men and women had contact with every other from the region of current day Israel . 

            1 matter that appears certain is that Moses had been a authentic person.  He was referred to by both Manetho as well as Artapanus.  Manetho states the Egyptians "troubled by calamities, in order the divine wrath feel the need to be averted, expelled the foreigners…their leader stated to have been Moses."  If a pagan Egyptian priest residing three hundred years prior to the Common Era has a record of the person named Moses who was kicked out of Egypt to appease the gods, Moses likely existed.   Moses is really a popular Egyptian first name, not a Hebrew one.  It really is not very likely the Hebrew writers of the story would have invented the name from thin air.  Just the fact that they ended up in a position to occur up with an Egyptian name because their hero suggests some know-how of Egypt .  To make an Egyptian pagan priest confirm the simple facts in the story was much more than an interesting coincidence.  It suggests the simple events in the story actually happened along with acquired a significant impact on Egypt. 

     Don't forget that Manetho was remembering an event that took place extra than a thousand decades before his time.  We never remember trivial events that lengthy.  A thing significant must have occurred.  As being a normal matter of fact, using the evidence of an Egyptian priest, I am convinced the Exodus was more significant an event than I acquired originally thought.  My expectations for the Exodus had been small.  I figured a small number of people left Egypt as well as settled contained in Palestine .  I really downplayed the plagues contained in my head, growing as the recipient of a liberal theological education.  After looking at the evidence submitted by Dr. Federspiel, I am forced to accept the possibility that as much as the plagues as well as miracles might have some validity.   If the plagues have been recorded as well as remembered because a thousand years in Egypt, they must have happened along with Moses must have been credit because those things. 

     Furthermore, it seems quite likely that the military defeat from the " Reed Sea " may possibly have happened far too, as that can be significant reason the recall Moses.

            It really is far too bad that a fire destroyed the Alexandria Library along with anti pagan fervor during the Christian era, lead to the destruction of so much material contained in Egypt.   It really is also far too bad that early European Archeologists collecting samples from ancient Egypt had been so sloppy that they destroyed priceless papyri codices along with fragments.  Because so much material has been from that point on lost, we will never possess the complete picture of Moses and the Exodus, on the other hand to say there exists no evidence that survives today gives the appearance to be far from the reality.  We have a great deal of circumstantial evidence preserved by Josephus as well as Eusebius.  Furthermore, there is certainly possible archeological empirical proof being unearthed today, though our comprehending of the hieroglyphs makes it very hard to interpret.  Together with time as well as further a job on interpreting of Egyptian Hieroglyphs, it appears certain the existence of Moses is going to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

********************

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Biblical Egyptology

ULC Seminary Moses and Bible Chronology By Robert J. Heyer Many persons dismiss the stories of Moses and Exodus as mythology. It seems that the secular press is quick to accept these so called experts and assume that there is no archaeological and scientific evidence to support the Biblical accounts of Moses and the Exodus. When a person takes the time to examine the facts they will see there is actually quite a bit of evidence to support both the existence of Moses and the Exodus. In fact, there is no evidence to be found that would prove the Biblical accounts to be false. What follows is a brief examination of how the study of Bible chronology affects the understanding of Biblical accounts of Moses and the Exodus. Many of the problems that are commonly cited to discredit the existence of Moses are related to dates. Biblical chronology has always been problematic and been a prime source of citation for Bible skeptics and detractors. The best starting point for Biblical scholars would be to rethink many of the oldest chronologies that are currently in use. For many years scholars have been working backwards, assigning dates and then looking for the archaeological evidence to support the timelines. The opposite method should be used, letting the archaeological evidence create a new and useful chronology. Numbers are the main problem with our understanding of the Bible. We hear accounts of men that lived what seems to be impossible ages. We also see measurements that make accounts seem unlikely, Noah's Ark is a good example of this. Modern engineers are quick to point out how unlikely it would have been to build Noah's Ark to the dimensions listed in the Bible. Many seize on this fact and say that scientists dispute the existence of Noah's Ark. When however the measurements are looked at scaled down some we see that what would have resulted would have been a highly stable and seaworthy craft. It seems more likely we have interpreted the measurements wrong in our many translations and handing downs of such an ancient story. The same can be said for measurements of time. For many years scholars have been trying to assign a timeline to events of the Bible. Almost all of these accounts rely totally on the Bible for starting points and time markers. The problem with this approach is that if we are using dates and numbers that are incorrectly understood, then all the measurements we make with them are erroneous.  Most chronologies are based on the passage in 1Kings 6:1 where it states that  the Exodus from Egypt occurred 480 years before the fourth year in the rule of King Solomon. This places it somewhere near 1445 B.C.. This has been the starting point in the search for archaeological proof for the Exodus. But, what if we assume that the number 480 is not an actual number.  Instead, it might be a symbolic number that represents a certain number of generations.  Or even more possible what if the real number was lost in oral passing of the stories and changed with written down for the first time.  This would mean we have been looking in the wrong place for archaeological evidence. My suggestion is that we let the archaeology tell the story instead of trying to bend it to fit.  The sad fact is it may be decades between relevant archaeological finds that relate to Exodus.  So it is only natural that scholars, in their haste, have tried to set the timeline to their own needs.  Perhaps there is plenty of archaeological evidence there we can use to get the actual dates of Exodus if we just look for it.  Let's start with an examination of the events most likely to be preserved in the archaeological evidence. It doesn't seem likely there would be much written about the great exploits of Moses in ancient Egyptian writings.  We know of very few people that were not directly related to the rulers of Egypt and their continuation of their religious practices.  There is little popular literature available, especially when it comes to news of common people. We must remember that the written history left for us by the Pharaohs is what they wanted us to know and believe.  They went to great lengths to extinguish the writings of their forebearers so there is very little chance they would memorialize an enemy of the state like Moses.  There are some events that would, however, be preserved.  One would be proof that there were indeed Jews in Egypt.  Another might be for evidence that young Jewish males were ordered put to death.  The finding of these events in the written or archaeological record would seem a good place to date the life of Moses. Of all the Biblical events involving Moses, the ten plagues would seem the mostly likely to have left both written and archaeological evidence.  We would expect to find some type of political accounts of such suffering as caused by the plagues.   A large scale dying of young male children would also leave some strong physical evidence behind for some lucky archaeologist to stumble on.  We should be looking for these types of evidence to use as time markers for finding the true date  for the life and exploits of Moses.  Other archaeological markers could be looking for evidence for settlements in the desert for the wanderings of the Jews.  There should be physical evidence left behind from all their wanderings.  Not only will their discovery be useful in the dating of Exodus, but will also be invaluable in the plotting of the actual routes taken. In Summary, it seems to me that many of the issues with proof of the existence of Moses and the Exodus revolve around an incorrect Bible chronology for this time.  There is a tremendous amount of archaeological evidence to support the events when one steps away from the currently used chronologies.  A good review of this evidence can be seen in the Universal Life Church Seminary course on Biblical Egyptology by  Rev. Nick Federspiel.  Another less conventional, but highly interesting account of archaeological evidence, is presented by Simcha Jacobovici in his documentary on the subject.  When the erroneous current timeline is removed there is little reason to doubt the Bible accounts.  It is hoped that further archaeological evidence will help clarify the timeline to better fit the available artifacts. ******************************************** Use the Free Online Ordination, button -- Click the link! Ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now. 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