Archaeology & the Exodus

Archaeology & the Exodus
Extremely Rough Draft Short-on-Time version


1250 BCE — Joshua leads Israel into Canaan

There is strong archaeological evidence for the Conquest of Canaan. There is evidence of destruction and fire at numerous sites around Canaan all dating to around the same time. The archaeological evidence is consistent with the main thrust of the Book of Joshua. There are some details that are not, and it is these that secular scholars harp upon endlessly in their war against Scripture.

These "destruction layers" at archaeological sites around Canaan begin appearing, suddenly and frequently, at layers (in the archaeological excavations) that correspond to 1250 BCE, and continue to appear at layers that correspond to 1200 BCE.

Thus, Joshua and the Israelite tribes must have begun their conquest of Canaan in 1250 BCE.


1295 BCE — Moses leads Israel out of Egypt (the Exodus)

If Israel entered Canaan in 1250 BCE (as archaeology says), and if Israel spent 40 years in the Desert Wilderness before entering Canaan (as the Bible says), then Israel must have dwelt in the Desert Wilderness from about 1290 - 1250 BCE.

To this we may need to add some time to account for the Israelite tribes reaching the Desert Wilderness from Egypt, and for their journey from there to Canaan. Thus, the Exodus must have occurred some time around 1295-1290 BCE.

In 1295 BCE, the last Pharaoh of Dynasty XVIII (18) died. The new Pharaoh, Rameses I, was the first Pharaoh of Dynasty XIX (19). Rameses I reigned briefly for less than 2 years, when his son Seti I immediately began attacking Shasu Bedouins in Canaan. These Shasu bedouins worshipped the god Joh or Yaw, and seem to correspond with the tribes of Midian (cf. Jethro and his daughter Zipporah) who worshipped YHWH.

Thus, the Exodus occurred in about 1295 BCE and is associated with the transition from Dynasty XVIII to XIX. Indeed, this is precisely the testimony of Manetho, who places the Israelite Exodus at exactly this time.


1350 - 1320 BCE — Joseph, Akhenaten, and the Amarna Period

Dynasty XVIII is most famous for its monotheistic Pharaoh Akhenaten. He worshipped the sun-god Aten, and composed hymns in Aten's honor. The famous Great Hymn to the Aten shows remarkable parallels to Psalm 104, with which it is frequently compared. And the very word Aten is related to the Hebrew Adonai meaning "Lord" and referring to YHWH-God. Finally, Akhenaten was allied with the Apiru people in Canaan, who are thought to be the Biblical Hebrews. Akhenaten's monotheistic reforms were opposed by the ancient Priesthoods, who drove Akhenaten from power and ultimately toppled Dynasty XVIII altogether.

Moreover, Akhenaten's immediate predecessors had a powerful Asiatic court official named Yuya. He married into Egyptian nobility, and was related to succeeding Pharaohs like Akhenaten. His name shows clear signs of being foreign and non-Egyptian, as do his facial features seen on his surviving mummy. Yuya, whose name is also spelled Yaa or Ya, and his Asiatic heritage seem to connect to the Bedoiun Shasu who worshipped Yah. Ahmed Osman, in his groundbreaking book Stranger in the Valley of the Kings, assembles strong evidence that Yuya is none other than the Patriarch Joseph (Yu-seph, with Yu-ya as a pet form). Yuya thrived around 1380 BCE.

Finally, it is precisely at this time that Egyptian Pharaohs began to be interested in dreams and Dream Interpretation, a central theme of the story of Joseph. For example, Tothmoses II erected his famous Dream Stela between the paws of the Sphynx describing a dream in which the sun-god promised him the throne.

We have tied Moses and the Exodus to 1295 BCE at the transition between Dynasty XVIII, whose Pharaoh Akhenaten instituted monotheism, and Dynasty XIX which brought back the old gods and their ancient priesthoods. And we have further linked the monotheistic Dynasty XVIII to dream interpretation and a powerful Semitic courtier named Yuya, whom we have identified as the Patriarch Joseph. Also, towards the end of Dynasty XVIII, Egypt was beset by a deadly plague, reminiscent of the 10 Plagues of the Exodus account.

Indeed, the Bible says that the Israelites spent 4 generations — about 80 years — in Egypt. Since we have placed the Exodus at 1295 BCE, we should expect to see Joseph arriving in Egypt around 1375 BCE, which is just when the amazing courtier Yuya appears in the archaeological record.


Sources:

Osman, Ahmed. Stranger in the Valley of the Kings.
Dever, William. Who were the early Israelites, and Where did they come from?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hymn_to_the_Aten
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhenaten
http://ggreenberg.tripod.com/writings/w-osar-exod.htm

 

Then YHWH said to Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."
Genesis 15:13-16


Yes, Scripture says "400 years" (Gen 15:13).

But Scripture also says "4 Generations" (Gen 15:16).

In fact, it also says "430 years" (Ex 12:40), although this number may refer to Israel's journeys, not just there enthrallment in Egypt.

The argument I am making is based on archaeology over total Scriptural innerrancy. I am taking the "4 generations" literally, and using a normal generation length of 20 years, which is backed up by the 4 generations of time between Yuya (Joseph) c. 1380 BCE and the Exodus (Moses) c. 1295 BCE. I am arguing that the "main thrust" of the Biblical story is correct, while "details" like the exact number of years have been inflated.

Archaeology supports the main thrust of the Biblical account.
Archaeology does not support details, like "430".
I am accepting the main thrust of the Bible as well as archaeology, and tossing out the details.

That doesn't make me right...
but it is, at least, logically consistent.

 

Priestly generations average 16 years. This can be shown from the Berlin Geneology:

http://www.kent.net/DisplacedDynasties/The_Berlin_Genealogy_A_econd_Look.html


...and also from the fact that, according to Josephus, there were 85 high priests of Israel down to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. 85 x 16 = 1360 years; 1360 years before 70 CE = 1290 BCE = time of Exodus... it all works out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_High_Priests_of_Israel


But here is an excellent discussion that also reconciles the 4 generations w/ 400 years! The 400 years includes the "soujourning" of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were all "strangers in Canaan". Then, late in the game, Israel was oppressed by Egypt and returned to Canaan in the 4th generation. IOW, if (as archaeology shows) Joshua entered Canaan in 1250 BCE, then the 400 years of soujourning before that would point to about 1650 BCE for the time of Abraham. Indeed, this is right around the time of the Thera or Santorini Eruption that is linked with the destructions of Soddom & Gemorrah (!). It all works out (!).

http://independencebaptist.org/6,000 Year Old Earth/Notes/note_03.htm

 

Self explanatory.

According to me, Mount Sinai happened in about 1295 BCE. Thus, accepting full Scriptural innerrancy with this interpretation, Genesis 12:1-4 happened in about 1725 BCE. Now I have to run all the numbers to see if this works out...

http://independencebaptist.org/6,000 Year Old Earth/Notes/note_03.htm

 

Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (Gen 12:4)

¿ Abram was 75 in about 1650 BCE ?

Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. (Gen 16:16)

¿ Abram was 85 in about 1640 BCE ?

Abraham is 99 years old when he intercedes for Soddom & Gemorrah (Gen 17-18)

¿ Abram was 100 in about 1625 BCE ?

These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175 years. (Gen 25:7)

¿ Abram was 175 in about 1550 BCE ?

Wow, this is really close!! Soddom & Gemorrah were destroyed by the Santorini/Thera eruption, in c. 1630 BCE... This works out (!!).


EDIT: "400 years" of sojourning, combined with a 1250 BCE date for Joshua's return to Canaan, yields a start date of 1650 BCE
EDIT: My argument here is fully consistent with the Genesis 15 account, with both the "400 years" of total sojourning, and "4 generations" of captivity in Egypt, as argued by the Independence Baptist website. However, it does not appear to be consistent with the contradictory statement of Ex 12:40 about "430" years.