Exodus

1. Exodus The Exodus Experience

2. Challenges Historians Face • Sources • No independent Egyptian sources. • The bible does not speak with one voice. • The Exodus passages are not smooth enough to be given unquestionable credibility. • The bible writers seem to be reporting miracles, not historical events. • The historian has very little role in determining the historicity of the Exodus.

3. 2. Location of their Destination • Where was the destination of the Israelites’ three day journey into the desert to worship their God? • Traditional : Mt. Sinai. • But other passages say that the Israelites moved to Kadesh (Deut 1:46, Judges 11:16). • Do these names refer to one and the same place (Mt. Sinai and Kadesh)? • If they were going to Mt. Sinai, where exactly was it located?

4. Location of Sinai (Three Possibilities) • Jabel-Musa • The traditional location of Mt. Sinai has been Jabel-Musa; a place on the Southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. • That is the place at which the present day St. Catherine’s Monastery is located. • It belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church.

6. 2. Gulf of Aqaba • Some scholars have argued that the language of Exodus 19:16-19) implies allusion to volcanic eruptions. • They have argued that Mt. Sinai should be located at a place of volcanic activity in the area. • Consequently, a place east of the Gulf of Aqaba has been chosen. 3. North West of Arabia • The third theory makes inferences from the story of the burning bush (Exodus 3:1ff). • They have pointed to the North West of Arabia, in the Edomite territory.

7. 3. Site of Deliverance • The bible gives us the Red Sea. • But, the Hebrew word Yam Suph, which is translated as red sea, in fact, does not mean Red Sea, but Reeds Sea or sea of reeds. • If that is the case, then the Red Sea was not the place of deliverance, but the Reeds Sea. • The problem is that, scholars do not know where this is located.

8. 4. The Exodus Route (3 Possibilities) Route 1. The way of the land of the Philistine could have been the shortest route, but the bible says that they did not use that route because of the following reasons: (i) They could have been spotted easily because there was an army garrison along that way; (ii) This route was strongly fortified, that it was almost impassable. (iii) This route would have forced them to come face to face with the well-equipped and trained Canaanites (EX 13:17-18).

9. Route 2: Southern Sinai (Mt. Sinai) • Christians support this theory. • Would lead through the mountain range. Route 3: Way of Shur The northern part of Sinai. This would lead to Kadesh Barnea.

12. 5. The Birth of Moses and No. of Escapees • The birth of Moses, who became the leader of the Exodus is surrounded by miracles and incredible stories. • For instance, scholars have doubted the number of the Israelite midwives (EX 1:15-21). 6. The total number of the runaway slaves has been criticized as exaggerated. • Mt. Sinai could not have accommodated 600 000 men (women and children were not counted).

13. 7. Historicity of Moses • His historicity has often been doubted by scholars. • He has been accused of not featuring anywhere else except the Pentateuch. • It is surprising that even prophets, who claimed to have built their careers, upon the covenant given to Moses, never mentioned him by name. • Moses’ death has also been used to doubt his historicity. • It is reported in Deut 34:5 that (1) he died when he was with God. (2) Nobody knew what happened to him, and the people he led never saw his grave. The death is surrounded in mystery.

14. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EXODUS EXPERIENCE 1. The Exodus experience gave Israel her identity. 2. It was transformative. 3. It was unifying. 4. It gave them a worldview. 5. It was the foundation of their faith.

15. 6. It was the beginning of the History of Israel as a nation. 7. Time to do reflection. 8. Time to communicate with God. 9. Time of testing. 10. Time to trust Divine Providence. 11. Learning to fight and defend themselves. 12. Learning to perform rituals. 13. Learning leadership skills.

16. History or Myth? • Although there are many problems associated with the historicity of the Exodus, that experience seems to have given Israel her identity. • Whatever happened, in whatever way it did, the Exodus experience was a transformative experience in the history of Israel.

17. DATES OF THE EXODUS TWO MAJOR DATES • BETWEEN 1450 AND 1350 BC 2. BETWEEN 1300 AND 1250 BC

18. 1. BETWEEN 1450 AND 1350 BC EVIDENCE (A) EVIDENCE FROM THE ARMANA LETTER • Akhenaton’s letters to his father, Amenhotep III’s reign, (1400 and 1350 BC) (1887). • Written by rulers of small city states requesting for military assistance from the two Pharaohs.

19. Some of these letters reported the presence of the wandering bands of marauders called Apiru/Habiru. • These people were landless. • Were exiled from their own territories. • Some kings of the city states hired them to fight as mercenaries.

20. One of those letters was written by the mayor of a city called Oiltu. • Was addressed to Pharaoh Akhenaton, in about 1375 BC. • In the letter, the mayor complained bitterly about the harassment of his people by the Habiru.

21. OBJECTIONS 1. The Habiru were not a people, but a social designation. 2. These were lawless and marginalized people not an ethnic group of people. 3. During this period, the term Habiru was applied to inhabitants of a wide area, so they could not have been Hebrews. 4. The Habiru were lawless people fighting for money, but the same cannot be said about the Hebrews.

22. B. EVIDENCE FROM THE SERABIT EL KHADEM • There is evidence that between 1500 and 1400 BC, there were some Semitic slaves who worked at an Egyptian mine, Serabit El Khadem, in the Sinai Desert. • The rocks there were covered with inscriptions written by those Semitic miners. • It has been argued that these miners could have been the Hebrews during the Exodus.

23. OBJECTIONS 1. This is completely unbiblical. 2. There is no reference in the whole bible to the Israelites as miners. 3. The Hebrews were not the only Semitic people.

24. (C) EVIDENCE FROM 1 KINGS 6:1 • This passage deals with the dedication of the Temple by King Solomon. • It is reported that King Solomon dedicated the temple some 480 years after Israel left Egypt. • The temple was dedicated about 950 BC. • Scholars have added 480 years and 950. • The Exodus = 1430 BC

25. 2. BETWEEN 1300 AND 1250 BC Two pieces of evidence • EVIDENCE FROM EXODUS 1:11 (b) EVIDENCE FROM THE MERNEPTAH VICTORY STELE (ANET 378)

26. (a) EVIDENCE FROM EXODUS 1:11 • The verse states that the Hebrews were forced to build the store cities of Rameses and Pithom. • In the view of the most Egyptologists, Rameses refers to ancient Pi Ramesse (House of Ramasses, Ramesses II ruled ca 1279-1213 BC). • So if he is the Pharaoh who made the Hebrews toil, then the Exodus could not have happened prior to 1279 BC.

27. (b) EVIDENCE FROM THE MERNEPTAH VICTORY STELE (ANET 378) • This is an inscription that has been dated to 1208 BC. On it is was written: • “The princes are prostrate, saying, “Mercy!” • Not one raises his head among the nine Bows. • Desolation is for Tehunu; Hatti is pacified.

28. Plundered is the Canaan with every evil; • Carried off is Ashkelon; • seized upon is Gezer; • Yanoam is made that which does not exist; • Israel is laid waste, his seed is not; • Hurru has become a widow for Egypt!”

29. Scholars argue that “Israel” is marked by a sign for a tribe or clan, not that of a city or land. • It follows then that at this time Israel had not occupied Canaan. • The Israelites had not settled by 1225- 1220 BC.

30. The Pharaoh seems to exaggerate his victory. • This should have happened when the Hebrews were still in the desert. • This should have been the Exodus period. • The date of the Exodus should be between 1279 and 1220 BC.