Scientific views of Biblical miracles

BBC ^ | 4/22/03 | BBC

[SteveH]

Scientific views of Biblical miracles

Many of the miracles of the Bible can be explained by science, according to a Cambridge University professor. Professor Colin Humphreys claims in a new book that phenomena described in Exodus can be shown to have natural causes, which science can explain.

The book The Miracles of Exodus gives scientific explanations for a number of miracles including the burning bush that was not consumed, the 10 plagues of Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea.

One of the other explanations offered by Professor Humphreys, Cambridge University's Goldsmith's Professor of Materials Science, is for the parting of the Red Sea.

'Blown by the wind'

He believes this happened in the Red Sea at the Gulf of Aqaba and was the result of a strong wind blowing water away from the coast.

He said: "This effect will happen with a long and narrow body of water.

"At Lake Erie in America, which is long and narrow, a strong wind will result in one end being up to 16 feet higher than the other end - simply due to the effect of it being blown by the wind.

"I've done the maths and the calculations for what would happen with a hurricane force wind of 80 mph in the Gulf of Aqaba.

'Egyptians were drowned'

"The water would be pushed out from the seashore and would create a wall of water about four or five feet tall and maybe 800 yards out to sea.

"Usually when you get a strong wind it dies down gradually but if it was to suddenly stop you could get a huge wall of water travelling at 16 feet per second which would explain how the Egyptians who were chasing the Israelites were drowned."

His book is currently available in the US from Harper Collins for the retail price of $24.95.

It will be on sale in the UK in July 2003 by Continuum publishing house.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/2967039.stm

Published: 2003/04/22 13:35:16

© BBC MMIII

[wideawake]

And, coincidentally, this one-in-a-trillion phenomenon happened to occur exactly as the Hebrews were fleeing their Egyptian pursuers and happened to end exactly as soon as the Hebrews made it to the other side.

All naturally, of course. No divine intervention, just lucky poker.

[Auntie Dem]

So how does the good professor explain the "coincidence" that the Israelites just happened to be at the right spot at the right time to benefit from this "natural" phenomonon?

Are we also to assume this MAN presumes that HE can recreate any of the Biblical miracles at will? I would buy a ticket to his first attempt to duplicate even the least of miracles.

[Stone Mountain]

And, coincidentally, this one-in-a-trillion phenomenon happened to occur exactly as the Hebrews were fleeing their Egyptian pursuers and happened to end exactly as soon as the Hebrews made it to the other side. All naturally, of course. No divine intervention, just lucky poker.

Yeah, I'm not sure what the point is here. Is the author claiming that the miracles described in the bible are now somehow more plausible because he was able to describe some of them scientifically? OR is he saying they aren't miracles at all - as you say, just lucky natural phenomena at the exact time necessary? Either way, I don't see a strong argument...

[conservonator]

I fail to see how a "scientific" explanation of a Biblical event or miracle discredits or detracts from the fact that the hand of God set the events in motion. What am I missing?

[Junior]

That's not quite what he said. No one says God doesn't use natural phenomena to accomplish the miraculous.

[VOYAGER]

That's not quite what he said.

No one says God doesn't use natural phenomena to accomplish the miraculous.

Since this little insignificant human being made not the slightest hint of giving God the Glory I believe his intent was to marginalize the omnipotence of God and thereby clearly indicated his purpose, whether he realized it or not, was to rob God by his little sniveling human effort!

[Junior]

And how is having a natural phenomenon occur at just the right place and time an effort to rob God? Is it impossible to believe that God uses His creation (nature) to be the agent of His miracles? Methinks you read far more into this tract than was intended.

[Frumanchu]

That's not quite what he said. No one says God doesn't use natural phenomena to accomplish the miraculous.

True, but the implication is that it can be explained without a need for God. It almost invariably leads back to claims of the Bible being nothing more than an attempt a la Greek/Roman mythology to explain events which we, in our 'enlightened' state of advanced science, can now explain.

[RockBassCreek]

You've got to admit that the so-called natural explanation above is pretty weak. If this wind is that strong how do you walk through it? And why does it happen at just the right time and end at just the right time.

It's pretty lame. Besides that, and this is good, it recognizes that the event in question -- the exodus -- occurred in history.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I may be reading this wrong but it sounds to me what he is describing is a wall of water on one side.

Ex. 14:29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

Also notice, "dry land" not mud.

Becky

[Junior]

Anyone reading the article would be struck by the sheer coincidence of such phenomena happening right then and there. Sure, coincidences occur all the time, but the timing just staggers the imagination. I don't see any effort to pooh-pooh God here, I see an effort to show that God works through nature to achieve His ends, just as He works through men. Do you consider it any less miraculous that the Israelites possesed the Promised Land because they did it through conquest than if God had simply handed it to them on a silver platter? We can rationally explain the Israelite conquests much as we can the parting of the Red Sea; such rational explanations do not detract from the miraculous reason.

[Junior]

And why does it happen at just the right time and end at just the right time.

Herein is God's hand. However, you're contention about the wind is off a bit. The whole thing's been modelled to death and it holds up -- the wind does not need to be strong, just steady, to do the work.

[RockBassCreek]

Not with the red sea it doesn't.

[LiteKeeper]

Foolishness!

[Onelifetogive]

I could believe his "scientific" explanations, but that would require much more faith than is required for me to just believe that God handled it!

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Red sea is a mistranslation. It's the Sea of Reeds. I saw something on TLC a few days ago that did a good scientific explanation of most of the 10 plagues as well, as various other aspects of the Exodus. It actually said that most of the account is scientifically and archeologically plausible, even if it did hedge on whether God was involved.

But like my Cantor taught me -- and has been mentioned more than once on this thread. The miracle isn't that these events happened. The miracle is that they happened at the right time to be useful.

[SteveH]

And, coincidentally, this one-in-a-trillion phenomenon happened to occur exactly as the Hebrews were fleeing their Egyptian pursuers and happened to end exactly as soon as the Hebrews made it to the other side. All naturally, of course. No divine intervention, just lucky poker.

Hey... I report, you decide!

[RockBassCreek]

It seems to me that these people knew the difference between the Red Sea and a marsh. The consistent witness is that it was the Red Sea. It seems that there wouldn't have been that big a change in understanding from the time they were rescued to the time when they began to describe the regional boundaries of other nations. (The Numbers passage below.) They continued consistently through the history of the bible to refer to the Red Sea. Solomon wouldn't have launched a navy from something called the sea of reeds. The new testament apostles considered it to be the Red Sea.

For what it's worth the bible does say it was a giant wind CAUSED by the Lord. In that the article is reporting the same as the Bible. It was never a secret that it was a big wind.

Exodus 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

Exodus 23:31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

Numbers 14:25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

1 Kings 9:26 And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.

Acts 7:36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

Hebrews 11:29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

The translation is indeed "Red Sea," but according to commentary I've read, the Hebrew in Exodus 13:18 is Yam Suf, literally "Sea of Reeds." This could refer to a specific part of the Red Sea or of the Nile Delta. It is, simply, unclear.

A source with fuller explanation.

I don't have enough Hebrew or time right now to check if "Yam Suf" is used throughout.