Director posits proof of biblical Exodus

The Globe and Mail ^ | 14 April 2006 | Michael Posner

[timsbella]

A provocative $4-million documentary by Toronto filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici claims to have found archeological evidence verifying the story of the biblical Exodus from Egypt, 3,500 years ago.

Religious Jews consider the biblical account incontrovertible — the foundation story of the creation of the nation of Israel. Indeed, they celebrated the Exodus Wednesday night and last night with the annual Passover recitation of the Haggadah.

But among scholars, the question of if and when Moses led an estimated two million Israelite slaves out of pharaonic Egypt, miraculously crossed the Red Sea ahead of the pursuing Egyptian army and received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai, has long been a source of contention.

Absent definitive proof, archeologists have argued variously that the biblical account is simply a nice fable or that it may have happened, but not on the scale suggested by the Book of Exodus. Nor is there any consensus about when it might have occurred.

Now, in Exodus Decoded, Mr. Jacobovici says he has found almost a dozen overlooked relics that confirm the biblical story.

[timsbella]

I liked his Quest for the Lost Tribes. Timely as the Egyptian antiquities (Hawass) folk are trying to say this never happened.

[massgopguy]

Where's your Moses now see? - Nathan
The only Jew in the movie and he looks miscast.

[DB]

I didn't realize that the number was anywhere near 2,000,000 people.

[ExcursionGuy84]

Really? The Only Jew???

Or was Holly-wierd just as Anti-Semitic back then [maybe not as great a degree as today] ???

[Frank_N_Sense]

Only 3500 years ago? I have socks and underwear older.

[Reaganesque]

I saw another documentary recently that said there was some evidence that indicated that the Israelites did in fact cross the Red Sea at a narrow (relatively speaking) point and that underwater cameras revealed formations of rock and coral(?) that could possibly be encrusted chariots. None of it was conclusive evidence but it did seem to make sense. Either way, we shall see which is correct.

[ExcursionGuy84]

I have socks and underwear older.

Maybe you should get out more.
After all, YAHWEH created Man to have mastery of the whole earth.

[wallcrawlr]

ping for interest

[aruanan]

I didn't realize that the number was anywhere near 2,000,000 people.

And it included others who weren't Hebrews who took the opportunity to leave as well.

[timsbella]

Thought this might be of interest. He's a Toronto local.

[aruanan]

I've read somewhere that the traditional Mt. Sinai is misidentified and that the real location lies in land controlled by Saudi Arabia. Supposedly the description of the site in the Bible doesn't match the traditional Mt. Sinai but this other location does and has a great deal of archeological evidence but is controlled by Saudi military.

[Tokra]

A lot of this makes sense, except for one thing. I don't understand how a volcanic eruption could kill the first born of the Egyptians. The Nile turning red - yes, the frogs, locusts etc. - yes, but the first born of the Egyptians dying? And not the Hebrews because of lamb blood on the door lintels? A volcanic explanation for that just doesn't make sense.

[timsbella]

Not sure, but indeed a number of historic religious sites are in the hands of those who would rather keep them hidden, or out and out destroy them. Look at how they keep garbage in the caverns below Temple Mount...everyone loses at the hands of such ignorance.

[Pride in the USA]

This will be an interesting film to watch.

[timsbella]

I haven't see this show, so I can't speak to it specifically. I do recall another show, possibly from the Learning Channel or National Geographic, which makes similar arguements. Quite compelling. Not so much the first born as death due to the conditions which occured from the previous nine plagues.

[aruanan]

Dating the Exodus to roughly 1,500 BC, the two-hour film presented and executive-produced by Hollywood director James Cameron and airing Easter Sunday on Discovery Canada — suggests that the great Santorini volcano caused the Ten Plagues that the Bible says were visited upon the Egyptians and which finally persuaded the pharaoh of the day.

Wasn't the Santorini eruption discussed pretty thoroughly in that book Exodus to Arthur by Mike Baille?

[Hebrews 11:6]

"There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children." Exodus 12:37

[doc30]

I thought that they actually crossed the Sea of Reeds. The Red Sea designation was a bad interpretation that has persisted for centuries.

[aruanan]

Look at how they keep garbage in the caverns below Temple Mount...everyone loses at the hands of such ignorance.

In the case of Temple Mount, it's just plain witting evil that resulted in the excavation and carting off to landfill of many, many tons of archeologically sensitive material. Of course, it was in the interests of Islam to cover up the fact that the Jews were in that land from (almost) time immemorial rather than the lately arrived so-called Palestinians.