Patterns Of Evidence, Exodus- Part 2

The movie was shown throughout our nation for only one day- 1/19/15.  A book and DVD will soon be released this year.  The movie commences with the assertion that archaeology promoted a skepticism of the Bible in the 1950’s.  Moses, not Herodotus, was noted as the first historian.  Rabi David Wolpe was skeptical of the reality of the Exodus story from the Bible.  Timothy Mahoney is a filmmaker from Minneapolis, a Christian, who is seeking the truth, and searches for the facts for twelve years in both Egypt and Israel.  Ramses II was thought to be the Pharaoh in Egypt during the Exodus, in the thirteenth century B.C., around 1250 B.C.  Evidence is turning up, however, that the Hebrews settled in Avaris, south of Ramses, and at a later date.  There is evidence in Avaris of people from Canaan.  There is evidence of shepherds, but this was 400 years earlier than the reign of Pharaoh Ramses.

1)Arrival Of Hebrews In Egypt-  Evidence reveals that Joseph arrived in Egypt in the early Middle Kingdom.  Avaris is a real place.  Ramses was an anachronism and this Pharaoh does not match up with the dates of the Jewish people in Egypt.  Avaris lies underneath Ramses.  Northern Syrian style homes are noted in Goshen, similar to the homes in Haran where Abraham formerly lived.  In Avaris, 12 tombs are found as well as 12 pillars.  One of the tombs is shaped like a pyramid and is thought to be that of Joseph.  The significance of 12 is obvious since Jacob had 12 sons including Joseph.  There is evidence that these settlers were Semites.  A statue at Joseph’s tomb reveals a man similar to a Pharaoh, except his skin is light, his hair is red, and he has a coat of many colors!  Furthermore, Joseph’s bones are NOT in the tomb, since the Bible says his bones were later taken to Israel.  Amenemhet was Joseph’s Pharaoh.  This Pharaoh became powerful after Joseph consolidated all of the land and crops from the Egyptians during the seven years of famine.  The Nomes were governing men over districts throughout Egypt, and archaeology reveals they lost their authority to Pharaoh Amenemhet.  Statues of the Pharaoh later on during the Exodus revealed a Kingdom in distress as one would expect after the ten plagues.

2)Multiplication Of The Hebrews In Egypt-  The Jewish people multiplied exceedingly.  Only the Middle Kingdom reveals that there was a large Semitic population in Goshen who were shepherds and had donkeys.

3)The Slavery Of The Hebrews In Egypt-  A new Pharaoh who did not know Joseph, enslaved the Hebrews because they had become too numerous.  Houses made of brick and straw are observed from this time period as the Bible tells us.  Also, there are many infant burials noted in Avaris, suggesting the murder of Hebrew babies just as the Bible says.  The following is fascinating–  A Brooklyn papyrus list of Egyptian slaves reveals that 70% of them have Hebrew names, including many from the twelve sons of Israel (Jacob)!  There is evidence of poverty and malnutrition just as one would expect during this time period.

4)Judgment In Egypt and 5)the Exodus-  The Israelites were delivered from bondage.  The ten plagues refuted the gods of Egypt and also revealed that the Pharaoh was not God.  The Jewish Passover is celebrated to this day in commemoration of God sparing them from the death of the firstborn in every household.  The calamities caused by the ten plagues were vividly described by an ancient Egyptian author!  Later on, Pharaoh Ramses recognized Israel as a nation, depicted on the Merneptah Stele.  The Exodus happened around 1450 B.C.  Mass burials were observed in Avaris, strongly alluding to the firstborn dead among the Egyptians!  The Egyptian economy collapsed after the tenth plague just as one would expect.  The time of the Israelites in Egypt is thought by many scholars to be the period when the Hyksos thrived,  The Hyksos and the Hebrews were probably one and the same people.  Another amazing reference on Egyptian hieroglyphics was a reference to “God.”  The Egyptians believed in many gods, but after the plagues they referred to the one God of the Hebrew people.  God smote the Egyptians without the use of arms.  A mass abandonment of the Semitic people is noted as well- representing the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt.

6)The Conquest Of Canaan-  Kathleen Kenyon unearthed Jericho during the 1950’s and found that the walls fell outward and the city was burned, just as the Bible says.  The city possessed jars full of grain, indicating the city was taken in the spring and there was not a long siege.  Joshua and the Israelites celebrated the Passover prior to the attack, also indicating the taking of the city was in the spring.  A picture of Jericho taken by a German archaeologist in 1913, revealed that a small portion of Jericho’s wall was left standing.  It was the portion where Rahab the harlot’s home was!  The Bible tells us that this was the only part of the city that was spared.  Joshua placed a curse on Jericho that it would not be rebuilt, and it was indeed abandoned.  Furthermore, in the later conquest of Hazor, this city too was burned by fire just as the Bible tells us.  Finally, the Bible reveals that Joshua killed Jabin, the king of Hazor.  This fact is attested to in both the Bible and in cuneiform.  In summary, the spade of the archaeologist simply helps us to connect the dots in the Word of God time after time after time.  This was truly a magnificent film, solidifying the faith of the believer, and opening the eyes of the skeptic.