Relatively couple of folks would not uncover the story relayed inside the Biblical Book of the Exodus apart from riveting - they don't write stories like that anymore. Alas, any person can put words down on paper, that does not of necessity make those words correct. And though our libraries and bookstores are filled with books clearly identified as fiction, I am confident none of you would think for a minute that all the books in the non-fiction sections include only the truth, the complete truth and nothing but the truth. The question arises, will be the Bible in common, and for the purposes of this essay the section named Exodus, the truth, the whole truth and absolutely nothing but the truth, or possibly anything less, even a lot much less, that that?
THE Principal CHARACTERS IN EXODUS
Moses, Part One: Moses is an old age pensioner for the tune of 4 score years. He's commanded by God to undertake a variety of tasks. I will have much more to say about his bona-fides later on, but for now I will just note that Moses was most surely not the author of "Exodus" considering that that text was not committed to 'paper' till a lot of centuries after-the-'fact'. And there is small doubt that the version that we know at this time is usually a copy of a copy of a copy and also a translation of a translation of a translation.
Pharaoh X: The "X", as always stands for "unknown" due to the fact no one has a clue specifically which Pharaoh was the Pharaoh with the Exodus. For some certainly inexcusable reason, assuming certainly we're dealing with background and not fairy tales, the Egyptian Pharaoh component and parcel of all of this 'history' - Hebrew or Israelite slaves, diplomatic negations with Moses, plagues, and so on. - is totally unnamed! That's like historical texts saying some American President X committed NASA to land a man on the on the Moon and return him safely to Earth prior to 1970 but these historical records forget which President. The Pharaoh in question may possibly have already been Ramesses II (otherwise recognized as Ramesses the Good). He is considered to be by punters the odds-on favourite, but there is no documentary or archaeological evidence that Ramesses II had any involvement with any of these happenings. Apart from, Ramesses II being of sound thoughts and ego left all sorts of historical records about him for archaeologists thousands of years later to record. Sorry, no Israelites, slaves or otherwise. Anyway, Ramesses II has 5 other Pharaohs in competition for the 'honor' of being the Pharaoh on the Exodus. Choose a card; any card.
God: The Almighty deity who performs in mysterious, contradictory, illogical and unethical methods. This God is actually a god of Israel as well as the Israelites and only of Israel and her citizens.
THE MISSION GOD Provides MOSES
God, who on a tape recorded message that was hidden behind a burning bush* up on the Mount Sinai with the Bible (God's under no circumstances really noticed) addresses Moses: "Good morning, Moses. Your mission in case you decide to accept [and by God you'd improved, or else] is usually to journey to Egypt and negotiate with Pharaoh X the release of some Hebrew slaves (the Israelites - my chosen persons) and escort them towards the Land of Canaan (the Promised Land). I'm sending your brother Aaron to assist you. Really feel free of charge to impress Pharaoh X with some impressive parlour tricks so he'll know how highly effective you happen to be. Oh, by the way, on the way back quit off here once more at my Mount Sinai. I've anything for you personally. This tape will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Very good luck Moses."
Good luck indeed for our all-knowing God knows complete well Moses will get Pharaoh X's middle finger. God knew he'd must resort to some great old style smiting as a way to make Pharaoh X see the error of his ways, and no doubt God relished the opportunity to help keep in practice with his smiting procedures.
And so it came to pass that Pharaoh X indeed told Moses exactly where to go and what to complete to himself when he got there! So much for Program A's minor 'snake and staff' parlour tricks approach - on to Strategy B and time to obtain significant with some definitely genuine impressive parlour tricks (with a lot more than a little bit of assist from the Almighty) - the ten plagues.
THE TEN PLAGUES
We've all learned regarding the ten plagues inflicted on Egypt and her citizens. Alas, and surprisingly, the ten plagues aren't recorded in ancient Egyptian historical texts. Positive, ancient Egypt suffered many natural disasters, the Nile over-flooding or not flooding sufficient; droughts and famines, but hardly anything at all akin to the rapid succession of all manner of other calamities the Bible relates - blood, frogs, lice, flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and death towards the firstborn. Historians don't possess a bar of those plague tales given that there is not the remotest shred of hardcore evidence for them. Natural explanations can quickly account for these as happening more than the pretty lengthy term as disassociated events - I mean there's absolutely nothing supernatural about hail, frogs, lice, flies, pestilence, locusts or alga blooms (blood). Darkness can outcome from solar eclipses to ash clouds from volcanic eruptions to typically overcast circumstances.
As for the last plague, God straight smites the firstborn (like the firstborn of livestock for some certainly unfathomable reason humane societies need to comment on), of all and sundry Egyptians (sparing obviously the Israelites), in direct violation of his commandment "Thou shall not kill". Wow, God with the double regular is an absolute understatement in this context.
You'd believe that if a foreign deity (towards the Egyptians) had smite the Egyptians with these ten plagues (or even just the final 1 - the straw that broke Pharaoh X's back) that there would have, again, been some record of it in ancient Egyptian inscriptions. No! You'd consider God would have been the topic of a few of these well-known Egyptian revenge spells and curses, for soon after all they only affected the Egyptians, not the Israelites. Apparently that's not the case.
Verdict: The ten plagues are either un-associated events widely separated in time or pure fiction. I'd go for pure fiction as a result of a lack of documentation in Egypt's historical records.
THOSE ISRAELITE OR HEBREW SLAVES
What Israelite Slaves? No such population has been recorded in Egyptian history and the ancient Egyptians kept cautious records as only obsessed accountants can. Nevertheless, we'll go using the Exodus flow and note that the ten plagues ultimately convinced Pharaoh X to let God's chosen people go. Nicely, sort of. 1 apparent question arises nonetheless. Considering that Pharaoh X was the lone obstacle, why was it necessary to take out atrocities on the ordinary Egyptian citizen totally ignorant of what was going on and why - ditto these livestock? I mean subjecting Pharaoh X to various hours of heavy metal or rap music (God would have foreseen these 'musical' styles coming to pass) really should have performed the torture trick without having undue ethical consequences. Regardless, and after-the-fact, Pharaoh X changed his thoughts and sent out his army and army's chariots to bring 'em back dead or alive - properly possibly alive due to the fact a dead slave is not of any use, even to a Pharaoh. High Noon was at the Red Sea, or was that the Sea of Reeds?
Verdict: Ancient Egypt didn't; repeat didn't, put to operate any Israelii slaves.
IS IT THE RED SEA OR THE REED SEA?
Assuming the accuracy of Exodus as much as this point (which I do not), there's dispute concerning the crossing of THAT body of water by the escaping Israelites as well as the drowning of Pharaoh X's pursuing army. The KJV in the Bible does indeed say "Red sea". Nonetheless scholars recommend that it was, if there has to be a 'was', the Reed Sea or Sea of Reeds, that marshy region component and parcel on the northeast Delta area of Egypt.
Why the confusion for such an crucial, unique, even historical event? - If it happened naturally. And how could it happen?
Verdict: it didn't take place. When the ancient Egyptians had had that several of their army wiped out, there would be a bona-fide historical record of it inscribed someplace in some manner in ancient Egyptian writings or inscriptions. And claims that the remains of Egyptian chariots happen to be found on the Red Sea seabed have verified to be total nonsense and pseudo-archaeology. Any bona-fide archaeologist would sell their soul to the devil for such a discovery - an army's worth of Egyptian war chariots from that era at the bottom with the Red Sea. They'd turn out to be as renowned as Howard Carter of King Tut fame or Heinrich Schliemann who located and uncovered Troy. To confirm the Exodus through physical archaeological evidence would be worthy of a Nobel Prize - if they gave one for archaeology or history certainly.
THE PARTING With the WATERS
But assuming this one of a kind geographical parting with the waters occasion happened, perhaps a massively powerful wind or an earthquake may well have accomplished the process naturally,surgery to increase height, but the texts (Exodus and also other Biblical references) do not relate any such natural forces at work at the time. Apparently Moses waved his arms about and did the hokey-pokey and the rest as they say is history. Not surprisingly mortal men cannot part the waters, so once again either we have an uncited natural occasion; or possibly a actual God behind the scenes, waiting within the wings offstage pulling the actual strings; or but again, an episode of pure fiction.
Verdict: pure fiction.
TEN COMMANDMENTS - ROUND ONE
On the road among Egypt plus the Promised Land, following the parting from the waters, Moses created that requested stopover back at Mount Sinai to choose up God's supplying. As a reward for his return patronage to this mountain resort he's given some rather heavy stone tablets - the Ten Commandments. For some purpose this took forty days and nights (perhaps some confusion here with Noah?).
Now some questions arise here. How come it takes nearly six weeks to write down the Ten Commandments? God should have had the tablets already made up and prepared to hand to our 80 years old pensioner. If not that, it ought to have already been no excellent difficulty to make them in six minutes, getting an Almighty and all that. It would not have taken Superman even that long - more like six seconds for the man within the cape who wears his underwear on the outside.
In any occasion, if God had gotten a move on and if Moses had of hurried back down the mountain tablets in hand it would have already been a great thing and saved a lot of strife since in his lengthy six week absence, his followers, the fantastic Israelite unwashed and Hebrew rabble, got as much as loads of mischief, ultimately pissing off God and Moses as well.
Apparently to wile away their 'idle' time, brother Aaron, watching more than the flock, passed about the collection plate and gathered up all of the metals in their possession and working with similar, made themselves a real idol - a golden calf apparently. Now how on earth this motley crowd could do advanced metallurgy (melting and casting) in the wilderness is beyond me. Anyway, idols are a major no-no in God's eye in order that bit of mischief was a truly negative move.
But let's return for a moment back up the mountain and to these six weeks. Apparently when waiting, Moses took the opportunity to go on a diet plan and did not consume or drink for the duration. Or maybe God was a poor host. You'd of believed God could possibly have some manna to spare or some loaves and fishes to share with Moses. God indeed is really a rather poor host. Just because God doesn't have to eat or drink - a significant blunder IMHO.
Verdict: Well, let's face the logic. The logic is the fact that this entire scenario is 100% illogical. It just in no way occurred.
TEN COMMANDMENTS - ROUND TWO
Alas, in a match of temper, Moses, upon returning to ground level and these former Israelite slaves, spotted the golden calf, that no-no idol, threw a tantrum and sadly broke those original rather heavy stone tables - Que instant reply right here. Yes, our old aged pensioner now returns for the web site on Mount Sinai, but this time having to lug up the mountain some fresh stone tablets for God's finger to write upon. Anyway he gets a carbon copy (or photocopy) of these heavy stone tablets. This time, upon his return from the mountain top, carrying those heavy stones, he did not do a butterfingers and drop the dishes and so the Ten Commandments ultimately created its rightful solution to those in will need of such directions, those Israelites, certainly a rather amoral lot since they develop idols and such. Why these wonderful amoral unwashed should really be God's selected men and women is beyond me, but hey, we all love to cheer on the underdog. And slaves freed from bondage, then getting chased by the Egyptian army, enduring hardships in the wilderness, are a classic case with the underdog striving to and coming out on top - a minimum of for a little whilst. However the hardships weren't over with but, not by a extended shot. Freedom was nonetheless a different forty years away.
Verdict: When the scenario surrounding the Ten Commandments, Round A single has no basis in historical truth, then the sequel is a case of déjà vu all over again. Nobody disputes that you will discover Ten Commandments inside the Bible, plus a complete lot of further "thou shall" and "thou shall nots" too. Whether or not or not they came from a deity or not is neither right here nor there, but an excellent case might be made for the dos and don'ts getting a much less than supernatural origin. The concern right here will be the system of delivery.
THE BIBLICAL MOUNT SINAI
I gather we leave Mount Sinai with the Exodus behind at this point. It really is also poor a number of the selected people today did not choose to mark the location on a map. To add insult to injury, not only are Moses and also the story to date iffy, so would be the location in the Mount Sinai with the Bible itself. The Biblical Mount Sinai should really not to be confused with an actual Mount Sinai close to Saint Catherine and Mount St. Catherine way, way to the south of your Sinai Peninsula and therefore far off the beaten path top to the Promised Land. Surely God would have positioned himself somewhere along probably the most direct, most logical, route in between lower Egypt (northern Egypt) as well as the Land of Canaan (nicely for the northeast) and not demand his chosen individuals to go southeast towards the real Mount Sinai then backtrack northeast - that is hundreds of miles out of their way. It will be like travelling from Chicago to Seattle through the Grand Canyon!
Modern scholars differ as towards the precise geographical position with the Biblical Mount Sinai which has ranged from the Sinai Peninsula to the Negev to Saudi Arabia to Petra and beyond. Many the debate centers on no matter if or not you determine the Biblical Mount Sinai having a volcano, in that the Biblical (Exodus) version of Mount Sinai is linked with lots of smoke, fire and brimstone. In any occasion, nobody can actually determine it for certain with any particular geographical location of an elevated nature (so we cannot go and have a look-see for ourselves at that non-combustible however ever burning bush or see where the rock was quarried by God for all those original, now busted, stone tablets). So there! Hard luck! Difficult cheddar! Sorry 'bout that!
Verdict: Something is screwy someplace!
FORTY YEARS Inside the WILDERNESS: WTF?
God's nevertheless quite cheesed off at his chosen people and so in but yet another match of temper (God's continual temper tantrums actually get boring following awhile) God condemns those ex-slaves to wander around the wilderness, ever to be denied the Promised Land,how to increase height, saving that for their kiddies (actual or eventual) as an alternative. If God ordered you to devote forty years wandering about aimlessly in the desert wilderness would you say "Yes, Master - whatever you command Master" or a thing a tad much more unprintable like "#@&*#%" along having a particular jester involving the middle digit on the hand? Assuming these involved weren't physically restrained, it hardly takes forty years to obtain from Egypt for the Promised Land. There seems absolutely no point to God's instruction. He wanted his people to obtain towards the Land of Canaan so why delay things with this punishment. God from the double common is also God with rocks in between his ears. In any occasion, you'd get rather sick and tired of a manna diet plan soon after forty days, far less forty years worth! I mean it's just bread, even if honey-sweet. I'm confident any modern day day nutritionist would frown on everyone undertaking a manna-only diet program for forty years! Even airline food will be a massive improvement, had they had airline fare back in these days.
Verdict: forty years inside the wilderness is fiction, pure fiction, without having any archaeological evidence to back up anything towards the contrary. Even should you only created one particular mile a day and headed in just a single direction, say the direction from the rising Sun, you'd be out of any desert wilderness way, way, way prior to forty years came and went.
And by-the-by, what's with this Biblical obsession using the number forty? Quite apart from Noah, and the examples cited above, we have our central character, Moses, who was twice forty when known as upon by God to come out of retirement and thrice forty when Moses kicked the bucket.
MOSES, Part TWO
First off, there's no evidence whatever for the existence of Moses. Moses, also as the veracity in the Exodus story in which he prominently features is disputed amongst archaeologists and those effectively versed together with the background of ancient Egypt. You won't obtain a lot as 1 hieroglyph with his name attached. Now that's a tad surprising. Even if Moses isn't Egyptian public enemy number one particular, he's still was on their ten most wanted list.
Now we come for the birth and discovery of baby Moses. You know the story on the floating basket and related, but it is pure plagiarism at worst, reinventing the wheel at best. There's absolutely nothing even remotely original about it. The original first generation tale is attributed to what happened to baby [future King] Sargon (a genuinely real historical figure with out any query), the first empire builder within the Mesopotamian region. King Sargon (2330 - 2280 BCE) forged the Akkadian Empire, establishing the capital of Agade in Akkad - look it up and check it out. King Sargon rates a mention in the Bible by the way as a king of Assyria.
That aside, Moses was currently ten years past his normally allotted lifespan when God gave him his commission and marching orders to free of charge those apparent, but unverified, Hebrew slaves. If the normal lifespan allotment is 'three score and ten', why pick on an old age pensioner of four score years? Maybe diplomatic talent and those able to perform parlour tricks was just a bit thin on the ground. But really, in an era without having air travel or air conditioned road transport, would you choose on an 80 year old to undertake not only the initial diplomatic task but endure all that followed? Recall, with respect to the Ten Commandments, this is an 80 year old pensioner who immediately after forty days and nights on a starvation diet plan, dying of thirst, is asked to carry down off a mountain two large stone tablets, anything even a fighting match 30 year old (even without having the diet regime) will be huffing-and-puffing more than.
Finally, in an ending worthy from the greatest tear-jerking Hollywood final, Moses snuffs it, kicks the bucket, at an age of six score years (120) just in sight of his goal - the Promised Land. Okay, hankies back in pocket! As I said in the beginning, they don't write them like that any longer!
Verdict: I think Moses is actually a figment of Biblical imagination, a useful fictional character to fulfil the a variety of plot scenarios the unknown author intended, a lot like George Orwell manufactured Winston Smith as a required central character in his novel "1984", and Arthur Conan Doyle developed Dr. Watson to enable flesh out the Sherlock Holmes tales.
CONCLUSION
The Biblical Book of Exodus is worthy of a sci-fi Hugo Award. Nevertheless, as really true history, it's not credible - in reality it is pure bovine fertilizer. There was no ten plagues; no Moses, no Hebrew slaves, no burning bush, no old age pensioner struggling to carry down (and later up) the mountain stone tablets, no wilderness exile, in truth no Exodus - exit stage left, the Exodus.
NOW FOR Some thing ELSE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
Somewhat out of context right here, but what I discover puzzling is how a relatively minor deity, who let's face it was a worse tyrant or despot than Attila-the-Hun, having a comparatively small constituency and control or jurisdiction over a fairly small geographical place could take over several from the hearts and minds of peoples from all more than the globe. From God of Israel to God of Life, the Universe and Everything is usually a fairly neat trick.
I think the answer, the appeal, is that previously nearly all cultures had literally thousands of deities in charge of life, the universe and everything. It is far easier to adopt, remember the name, rituals and codes of one deity than these multi-thousands most other cultures had. Put it this way, your choice - memorise just 1 x 1, or else memorise the entire multiplication table through to say 25 x 25. It really is your choice.
*To engage in a conversation with God through a burning bush intermediary must be one from the much more inventive from the Almighty's scenarios. Perhaps this must be some ancient variation on folks who talk to their pot plants - Prince Charles is in good company.
