Post by gottagitgud on Jul 13, 2020 7:41:39 GMT
There are numerous, gigantic problems and anachronisms with the Exodus account, some of which I list here:
The Chaldeans only existed as a nation between the 9th and 6th centuries BCE. Abraham and his family could not have been native Chaldeans, because they are said to have lived many centuries before that.
There is no archaeological evidence of thousands of Israelites wandering the Sinai desert for 40 years. In fact, except for Egyptian garrisons and forts along the northern coast, the Sinai desert shows almost no sign of occupation for the entire 2nd millennium BCE. This is despite repeated archaeological studies throughout the Sinai peninsula, including the area around Mount Sinai. Kadesh-Barnea, where the Israelites spent 38 years according to the Bible, was uninhabited during the 2nd millennium BCE. It only became inhabited between the 8th and 6th centuies BCE. Most of the places mentioned along the exodus route were unoccupied at the time, and were not occupied until the 8th and 7th centuries BCE.
Exodus states that the Israelites built the city of Pithom (Per-Atum/Tell Maskhuta) and Raamses (Pi-Raamses/Qantir). We know from both written records and archaeological evidence that the ancient city of Pithom was located at the site of Tell Maskhuta in northeastern Egypt and was founded by Pharaoh Necho II at some point between c. 609 and c. 606 BC. The site was uninhabited during the time of Rameses II in the thirteenth century BC. In other words, the cities of Raamses and Pithom were built roughly six centuries apart. There is no way that the Israelites could have built both of them for the same pharaoh. Also, the dating of the construction of Pithom puts it later than the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians and only about just a decade earlier than the Siege of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon in around 597 BC.
Probably the biggest problem for the Exodus narrative is that from the 15th century BCE onwards, Canaan was in fact an Egyptian province and part of the Egyptian empire, ruled by Egyptian governors. This has been proved beyond doubt by written records and archaeology in Canaan. Therefore, it makes no sense for the Israelites to go to Canaan for "safety," when Egypt had a very strong hold on Canaan until the second half of the 12th century BCE, and probably a strong Egyptian army waiting for them there. Egypt could easily have prevented an attack by the Israelites. Yet, the strong presence of Egypt in Canaan at the time is not even mentioned in Exodus.
The Chaldeans only existed as a nation between the 9th and 6th centuries BCE. Abraham and his family could not have been native Chaldeans, because they are said to have lived many centuries before that.
There is no archaeological evidence of thousands of Israelites wandering the Sinai desert for 40 years. In fact, except for Egyptian garrisons and forts along the northern coast, the Sinai desert shows almost no sign of occupation for the entire 2nd millennium BCE. This is despite repeated archaeological studies throughout the Sinai peninsula, including the area around Mount Sinai. Kadesh-Barnea, where the Israelites spent 38 years according to the Bible, was uninhabited during the 2nd millennium BCE. It only became inhabited between the 8th and 6th centuies BCE. Most of the places mentioned along the exodus route were unoccupied at the time, and were not occupied until the 8th and 7th centuries BCE.
Exodus states that the Israelites built the city of Pithom (Per-Atum/Tell Maskhuta) and Raamses (Pi-Raamses/Qantir). We know from both written records and archaeological evidence that the ancient city of Pithom was located at the site of Tell Maskhuta in northeastern Egypt and was founded by Pharaoh Necho II at some point between c. 609 and c. 606 BC. The site was uninhabited during the time of Rameses II in the thirteenth century BC. In other words, the cities of Raamses and Pithom were built roughly six centuries apart. There is no way that the Israelites could have built both of them for the same pharaoh. Also, the dating of the construction of Pithom puts it later than the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians and only about just a decade earlier than the Siege of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon in around 597 BC.
Probably the biggest problem for the Exodus narrative is that from the 15th century BCE onwards, Canaan was in fact an Egyptian province and part of the Egyptian empire, ruled by Egyptian governors. This has been proved beyond doubt by written records and archaeology in Canaan. Therefore, it makes no sense for the Israelites to go to Canaan for "safety," when Egypt had a very strong hold on Canaan until the second half of the 12th century BCE, and probably a strong Egyptian army waiting for them there. Egypt could easily have prevented an attack by the Israelites. Yet, the strong presence of Egypt in Canaan at the time is not even mentioned in Exodus.