Is the Bibles Account of the Exodus Accurate

1
Is the Bibles Account of the Exodus Accurate?

• A review and critique of The History Channels
  documentary The Exodus Decoded

2
The Supernatural

• Many major events in the Bible are clearly
  supernatural
• The creation (Genesis 1 John 11-3).
• The flood (Genesis 6 2 Peter 35-7).
• The exodus (Exodus 6-14 Acts 735-36).
• The resurrection (John 20 Acts 222-32).
• Yet, for skeptics, there is a temptation to give
  the supernatural a natural explanation.

3
Skeptics Explanation of the Bibles Supernatural
Events

• Gods Word
• 6-day creation of the world
• Global flood and judgment of the world
• Plagues and parting of the Red Seas waters
• Physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead

• Skeptics Explanation
• Evolution/Theistic Evolution
• Tropical storm/local flood
• Natural disasters/ shallow water
• Figurative resurrection of Jesus

4
A Recent Attempt

• One of the more recent attempts to make the
  supernatural look natural is in The Exodus
  Decoded.
• This documentary is
• Produced by James Cameron (director of the
  Titanic).
• Directed by Simcha Jacobovici (director of the
  Lost Tomb of Jesus).
• Their goal is described on their web site as
• In the Exodus Decoded we analyze the latest
  archaeological findings and scientific papers we
  explore the dusty back rooms of out-of-the-way
  libraries and museums around the world and we
  track down dozens of forgotten relics and ancient
  documents. Individually, these findings are
  historical curiosities. Together they tell the
  true story of the Exodus.
• http//theexodusdecoded.com/index1.jsp
• At first glance, this video seems to be proving
  their belief in the exodus.
• Yet, it dangerously asserts that the miraculous
  of the Bible is more of a natural phenomenon.

5
A Review

• As the video begins, they first try to establish
  a date for the exodus.
• The date they choose is 1500 B.C.E.
• Most scholars do not agree with this datemost
  date the exodus to between 1350-1470 B.C.E.
• Yet, to fit their theory, they must push the date
  to 1500 B.C.E.
• This puts the exodus in the same timeframe as
• The Hyksos expulsion from Egypt.
• The reign of Pharaoh Ahmose in Egypt (not Pharaoh
  Ramses II).
• The eruption of the Santorini Volcano in Greece
  (850 kilometers, 530 miles, from Egypt).

6
The Exodus Decoded Timeline
According to The Exodus Decoded all of these
events happened in 1500 B.C. No Scholars Agree
with This Theory
7
The Biblical Timeline
8
Santorini
530 Miles
9
A Review

• There are some basic reasons why this video tries
  to push the date of the exodus to 1500.
• They need a way to put a scientific explanation
  on the plagues.
• Thus, the Santorini volcano is their major piece
  of evidence as they make this attempt.
• If they can match all of these dates to precisely
  the same time, it helps build their case.
• The only problem is that most scholars do not
  have the dates matching up
• The Hyksos expulsion is generally dated from
  1750-1500 B.C.E.
• The exodus is generally dated between 1350-1470
  B.C.E.
• The eruption of Santorini is usually dated
  between 1500-1600 B.C.E.
• Yet, this video puts all the dates at precisely
  the same time.

10
A Review

• Santorini is important to this theory because it
  allows for a scientific explanation for the
  plagues.
• Here are their basic explanations
• Plague 1 Santorini volcano led to earthquakes
  which triggered underground gas leaks.
• These gas leaks created iron oxide, rust.
• This is what gave the Nile River a red-like
  color.
• Plague 2 The toxic gas killed the fish and
  animals, but the frogs hopped out.
• Plagues 3-5 The dead fish and lack of water led
  to an increase in gnats (lice) and flies and
  pestilence.

11
A Review

• Here are their basic explanations
• Plague 6 The gases and infected water caused
  boils, as it did in Cameroon after an earthquake
  in 1984 and 1986.
• Plague 7 The volcano triggered strange weather
  patterns and the fire was from flaming ash in
  the sky.
• Plague 8 Locusts would have come to Egypt after
  migrating away from the areas of the Santorini
  volcano.
• Plague 9 An ash cloud from the volcano would
  have enveloped the Nile Delta causing darkness.
• Plague 10 The low-lying gases would have killed
  the firstborn Egyptians during Pharaohs time.
• The oldest male slept in a bed near to the
  ground.
• All the other family members slept on the roof.
• This explanation takes God out of the equation
  and makes this event sound completely natural.

12
A Review

• As further proof, the video claims Pharaoh
  Ahmoses son died at age 12.
• So, this is the reason they insist that the
  Pharaoh at the time was Ahmose, not Ramses II.
• In our study today, we will only compare this
  video to the Biblical text.
• The Biblical text, does not mention
• The precise dates of the exodus.
• the Pharaoh in power at the time.
• So, we will not argue these points as tenaciously
  as their false argument concerning the plagues.

13
A Review

• As further evidence, the video claims Santorini
  ash has been found in Egypt.
• Yet, from which eruption?
• This does not prove it was at the same time as
  the exodus.

14
A Review

• After considering reasons for the plagues, the
  video considers the crossing of the Red Sea.
• How can it be scientifically explained how the
  Israelites crossed the Red Sea?
• Their argument
• Red Sea is a mistranslation and should be
  translated Sea of Reeds.
• Reeds only grow in freshwater, so this cannot
  be talking about the saltwater of the Red Sea.
• Instead, the Sea of Reeds is actually a reference
  to a shallow lake, Lake El Balah, north of the
  sea.
• Today, this lake has been drained by the Suez
  Canal and it can be walked and driven across.

15
A Review

• They continue to argue
• The earthquakes and volcanoes would have caused
  this lake to recede for Israel.
• Yet, underwater earthquakes would have caused a
  tsunami that killed the Egyptians as they
  crossed.
• The oil leaks would have caught on fire and
  caused a pillar of smoke by day, and fire by
  night.
• After crossing this lake, they would have
  traveled to the real Mt. Sinai, which they claim
  is in Saudi Arabia (Hashem El Tarif).
• Consequences of this teaching
• God did not act supernaturally, the people of the
  Bible just assumed this was the case.
• The exodus is simply a story of natural
  coincidences and fables that have no place in the
  inspired account.
• The New Testament is also wrong (Acts 736
  Hebrews 1129).
• So, does this scientific explanation match up
  with the Gods record of the events?

16
The Ten PlaguesNatural or Supernatural?

• 1st Plaguewater turned to blood.
• Is there anything in the Scriptures that
  contradicts their science?
• Was the water of the Nile red because of the iron
  oxide released by earthquakes?
• Exodus 717-21,
• Thus says the LORD By this you shall know that
  I am the LORD. Behold, I will strike the waters
  which are in the river with the rod that is in my
  hand, and they shall be turned to blood. 18 And
  the fish that are in the river shall die, the
  river shall stink, and the Egyptians will loathe
  to drink the water of the river. 19 Then the
  LORD spoke to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take your
  rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of
  Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers,
  over their ponds, and over all their pools of
  water, that they may become blood. And there
  shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt,
  both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.
  20 And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the LORD
  commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck the
  waters that were in the river, in the sight of
  Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all
  the waters that were in the river were turned to
  blood. 21 The fish that were in the river died,
  the river stank, and the Egyptians could not
  drink the water of the river. So there was blood
  throughout all the land of Egypt.

17
The Ten PlaguesNatural or Supernatural

• 2nd Plague frogs throughout Egypt
• Did all these frogs simply hop out because of the
  bad water?
• Does any Scriptural teaching contradict this
  idea?
• Exodus 82-6,
• But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will
  smite all your territory with frogs. 3 So the
  river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which
  shall go up and come into your house, into your
  bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your
  servants, on your people, into your ovens, and
  into your kneading bowls. 4 And the frogs shall
  come up on you, on your people, and on all your
  servants.5 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, Say
  to Aaron, Stretch out your hand with your rod
  over the streams, over the rivers, and over the
  ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of
  Egypt. 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over
  the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and
  covered the land of Egypt.
• Exodus 810-13,
• So he said, Tomorrow. And he said, Let it be
  according to your word, that you may know that
  there is no one like the LORD our God. 11 And the
  frogs shall depart from you, from your houses,
  from your servants, and from your people. They
  shall remain in the river only. 12 Then Moses
  and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried
  out to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had
  brought against Pharaoh. 13 So the LORD did
  according to the word of Moses. And the frogs
  died out of the houses, out of the courtyards,
  and out of the fields.

18
The Ten PlaguesNatural or Supernatural

• Plagues 3-5 lice, flies, pestilence
• Was all this simply the result of the dead fish
  and animals?
• First, notice that all these events are separate
  events.
• Second, notice how these plagues affect Egypt,
  not Israel.
• Exodus 817,20,24 93-6
• Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and
  struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice
  on man and beast. All the dust of the land
  became lice throughout all the land of EgyptAnd
  the Lord said to Moses, Rise early in the
  morning and stand before PharaohAnd the Lord did
  so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of
  Pharaoh, into his servants houses, and into all
  the land of Egyptbehold, the hand of the Lord
  will be on your cattle in the field, on the
  horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the
  oxen, and on the sheepa very severe pestilence.
  And the Lord will make a difference between the
  livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt.
  So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the
  children of Israel.

19
The Ten PlaguesNatural or Supernatural

• Plague 7 Hail mixed with fire
• It is true that natural disasters can have an
  effect on weather patterns.
• However, the Santorini volcano is 850 kilometers
  away.
• According to this documentary, its ash cloud
  would have shot 40 kilometers high and 200
  kilometers across.
• Thats not far enough for fiery ashes in
  Egyptalso, notice Exodus 9.
• Exodus 922-26,
• Then the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your
  hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all
  the land of Egypton man, on beast, and on every
  herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.
  23 And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven
  and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire
  darted to the ground. And the LORD rained hail on
  the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail, and fire
  mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there
  was none like it in all the land of Egypt since
  it became a nation. 25 And the hail struck
  throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was
  in the field, both man and beast and the hail
  struck every herb of the field and broke every
  tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen,
  where the children of Israel were, there was no
  hail.

20
The Ten PlaguesNatural or Supernatural

• Plague 8 Locusts
• The scientific argument is that locusts
  migrated to Egypt because of the natural
  disasters.
• However, does the description in Exodus simply
  sound like a local migration of locusts?
• Exodus 104-6, 13-15,
• Or else, if you refuse to let My people go,
  behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your
  territory. 5 And they shall cover the face of the
  earth, so that no one will be able to see the
  earth and they shall eat the residue of what is
  left, which remains to you from the hail, and
  they shall eat every tree which grows up for you
  out of the field. 6 They shall fill your houses,
  the houses of all your servants, and the houses
  of all the Egyptianswhich neither your fathers
  nor your fathers fathers have seen, since the
  day that they were on the earth to this day.
  And he turned and went out from PharaohSo Moses
  stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and
  the LORD brought an east wind on the land all
  that day and all that night. When it was morning,
  the east wind brought the locusts. 14 And the
  locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and
  rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were
  very severe previously there had been no such
  locusts as they, nor shall there be such after
  them. 15 For they covered the face of the whole
  earth, so that the land was darkened and they
  ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of
  the trees which the hail had left. So there
  remained nothing green on the trees or on the
  plants of the field throughout all the land of
  Egypt.

21
The Ten PlaguesNatural or Supernatural

• Plague 9 Darkness over the whole land
• The claim of this video, even by scientists, is
  that an ash cloud caused the darkness.
• Yet, does that really match up with the Biblical
  text?
• Exodus 1021-23,
• Then the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your
  hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness
  over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even
  be felt. 22 So Moses stretched out his hand
  toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in
  all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not
  see one another nor did anyone rise from his
  place for three days. But all the children of
  Israel had light in their dwellings.

22
The Ten PlaguesNatural or Supernatural?

• Plague 10 death of the firstborn
• The scientific argument made by the video is
  that poisonous, low-lying gas killed the
  firstborn male Egyptians.
• They claim the older ones slept in sheds, wagons
  and on rooftops.
• The Israelites were supposedly not affected
  because they were sitting up and eating the
  Passover meal.
• Yet, Gods Word says,
• Then Moses said, Thus says the LORD About
  midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt 5
  and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall
  die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on
  his throne, even to the firstborn of the female
  servant who is behind the handmill, and all the
  firstborn of the animals. 6 Then there shall be a
  great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such
  as was not like it before, nor shall be like it
  again. 7 But against none of the children of
  Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man
  or beast, that you may know that the LORD does
  make a difference between the Egyptians and
  Israel (Exodus 114-7).

Were all of Israels animals sitting up eating
the Passover too?
23
Red Sea or Sea of Reeds?

• The other major argument that is made involves
  the crossing of the Red Sea.
• Many theories exist about where the Israelites
  crossed
• Gulf of Suez
• Lake Menzaleh, Lake El Balah, Lake Timsah, Lake
  Serbonius
• Gulf of Aqaba (north, central, and south
  crossings).
• This video picks lake El Balah as the location
  where the Israelites crossed.
• Red Sea is translated from the Hebrew words
  Yam Suph which can mean Sea of Reeds.
• The major reason for picking this point of
  crossing is because this is a freshwater lake,
  thus capable of growing reeds.
• In addition, it was shallow enough (swamp) to
  take away the miraculous nature of the Israelites
  crossing.

24
Gulf of Suez (Red Sea) crossing
25
Gulf of Aqaba Central and Southern Crossing
26
Lake Timsah Crossing
27
Lake Ballah and Lake Menzaleh Crossings
28
Red Sea or Sea of Reeds?

• Yet, lets consider the phrase Yam Suph.
• The term suph is reeds.
• Are these reeds like the cat tails we see growing
  in only fresh water?
• Or, could they be referring to something else?
• The answer may be found in other passages.
• Exodus 23,
• But when she could no longer hide him, she took
  an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with
  asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid
  it in the reeds by the rivers bank.
• In this passage, suph is not
• gome (bulrushes)
• ara (papyrus)
• qaneh (calamus)

?Papyrus
?Bulrushes
?Calamus
29
Red Sea or Sea of Reeds

• Thus, the pictures we often have of Moses being
  laid in an area of bulrushes are wrong!
• Moses was laid in the suph (reeds) not in the
  gome (bulrushes).
• So, are these reeds only found in fresh water?
• The answer may be found in the book of Jonah.

30
Red Sea or Sea of Reeds

• Jonah 25,
• The waters closed in over me to take my life
  the deep surrounded me weeds were wrapped about
  my head
• The term weeds in Jonah is the Hebrew suph.
• Now, while Jonah was in the whale was he in
  freshwater or saltwater?
• The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the
  Atlantic Ocean.
• Is this freshwater or saltwater?
• Thus, the term suph does not only have to refer
  to reeds it can refer to seaweeds.
• Moses was laid in the seaweeds to keep his ark
  from floating away in the Nile (Exodus 23).
• The Red Sea is also called the Sea of Reeds
  since seaweed grows on the sea floor.
• With this in mind, Yam Suph does not have to
  refer to just a freshwater lake, it can mean Red
  Sea.

31
Red Sea or Sea of Reeds

• For further proof, notice this comment from
  Eastons Bible Dictionary,
• The Hebrew name generally given to this sea is
  Yam Suph. This word suph means a woolly kind of
  sea-weed, which the sea casts up in great
  abundance on its shores. In these passages,
  Exo_1019 Exo_1318 Exo_154, Exo_1522
  Exo_2331 Num_1425, etc., the Hebrew name is
  always translated Red Sea, which was the name
  given to it by the Greeks.

32
Red Sea or Sea of Reeds

• Notice this quote,
• Along the Nile River near cities and villages
  throughout Egypt, young boys in boats use
  monofilament nets to capture tiny bream-like fish
  along the rivers banks. Usually there is only
  one boy per boat thus he must manage the narrow
  boat, the net, and a pole or rudder against the
  Niles current as he moves along the shallows. It
  sounds nearly impossible, especially considering
  the unrelenting power of the longest river in the
  world.
• The Egyptian boys, however, use a proven
  technique to master the rivers current. When
  they need to stay in one place in order to toss
  their nets into a school of fish, they do not
  wedge the boats into standing reeds. Not only
  would the rivers current and the mass of the
  boat easily bend or break the reeds and allow the
  vessels to be pushed on downstream, the reeds
  would interfere with their fishing. Instead, the
  young fishermen force their boats into the midst
  of the ever-present kelp-like, aquatic weeds,
  which grow from the bottom of the Nile and mat
  heavily on the surface. This freshwater seaweed
  then securely holds their boats in place for as
  long as they care to fish. WHAT AND WHERE WAS
  THE RED SEA, SEA OF REEDS, OR YAM SUPH OF
  THE EXODUS?,

33
Red Sea or Sea of Reeds?
34
Red Sea or Sea of Reeds

• There is additional evidence to prove that this
  was the Red Sea, not some other lake.
• The sixth plague of locusts is recorded in Exodus
  1014-15,
• And the locusts went up over all the land of
  Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt.
  They were very severe previously there had been
  no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such
  after them. 15 For they covered the face of the
  whole earth, so that the land was darkened and
  they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit
  of the trees which the hail had left. So there
  remained nothing green on the trees or on the
  plants of the field throughout all the land of
  Egypt.
• For locusts this thick, to just cover the Nile
  Valley is an area of 20,000 square miles.

35
Red Sea or Sea of Reeds

• Now, notice what God does with these locusts in
  Exodus 1019,
• And the LORD turned a very strong west wind,
  which took the locusts away and blew them into
  the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all
  the territory of Egypt.
• Now, lets suppose Red Sea simply refers to one
  of the freshwater lakes or sea of reeds.
• The largest lake is only 125 square miles.
• How do you put, at least, 20,000 square miles
  worth of locusts into a lake this size?
• The Red Sea, however, is 174,000 square miles and
  a mile deep.
• Notice other helpful passages like
• 1 Kings 926Ezion Geber is located on the Red
  Sea, not a lake.
• New Testament translates it Red Sea and never
  Sea of Reeds (Acts 736 and Hebrews 1129).

36
Red Sea or Sea of Reeds?
37
A bunch of what ifs?

• The Exodus Decoded is filled with a hypothetical
  scenarios with weak evidence.
• Playing what if is a useless task, that
  questions and criticizes God.
• The video says, what if
• the Santorini volcano erupted during the same
  time as the plagues?
• The Red Sea was not what they crossed after all,
  instead it was a shallow stream?
• The Israelites were just a small group of
  foreigners who were kicked out of Egypt, like the
  Hyksos?
• Your faith in a God who performs miracles is
  really an elaborate hoax explained by science and
  conjecture?

38
Consequences

• There is a reason behind the supernatural events
  of Gods Word.
• If the natural disasters in Moses time were just
  natural, then
• Moses was not really a prophet of God (the first
  five books cannot be trusted).
• Pharaoh was justified in ignoring the demands of
  Moses and Moses was the wicked one.
• The New Testament writers were foolish for
  referring to these events as proof.
• We are foolish for believing in a Bible that is
  merely an exaggerated story of natural
  occurrences.
• Yet, the supernatural exists to prove there is
  a God that can order and defy scientific
  reasoning.
• His omnipotent control over the laws of nature
  are proof that we should turn to Him.

39
The Real Problem

• The real problem most have with the Exodus
  account is they are prejudiced against the
  supernatural.
• Josh McDowell explains,
• The average modern historian rules out any
  reference to the supernatural as being
  unhistorical, or to use a hackneyed expression,
  as myth. They approach history with a
  preconceived notion, and then adjust the evidence
  accordingly. In other words, before they even
  begin their historical examination they have
  already determined the content of their results.
  Many historians approach history with certain
  presuppositions. These presuppositions are not
  historical biases but rather philosophical
  prejudicesAll too often their conclusion is the
  offshoot of philosophical speculation, not
  historical homework.

40
The Real Problem

• Many historians believe we live in a closed
  system.
• There is no God.
• There is no supernatural.
• Miracles are not possible.
• Such a position forces historians to deny history
  that is tainted with supernatural influence.
• Thus, we see
• The creation explained by an evolutionary
  process.
• The flood simply as a result of natural
  occurrences.
• The exodus as a chain of scientific phenomena.
• The resurrection as an elaborate hoax by devoted
  followers.
• If the testimony of history favors the
  supernatural, is this really honest research?