Let me put this bluntly so you can understand it. Where God is involved it is indeed possible for millions of people to move over the earth and leave no trace.
See i can make statements too.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
Why Jews did not return to Palestine earlier
- Thread starter arauca
- Start date
Let me put this bluntly so you can understand it. Where God is involved it is indeed possible for millions of people to move over the earth and leave no trace.
See i can make statements too.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
Who reported on the middens, and from what period do they date? I suspect the "far best" explanation is that the Bible simply exaggerates an ancient, poorly-known story of small numbers. I think there's little doubt that ancient Jews did indeed live in the region.
Bells
Staff member
Hmmm..
Dating of remains to the biblical history is made difficult by the bible's lack of datable events and its unreliable internal chronology; the interpretation of remains has been influenced by religious and nationalistic arguments, as evidenced by arguments over burials from the highland settlement phase; and no material remains have been found which can reliably separate Israelite from non-Israelite (Canaanite) sites in the earliest period.
Hum-hmmm..
However, the 'intertestamental' period is more than ancient enough for me, frankly. I don't recall any Caanite groups that have shown up to demand that all the Jews be kicked out and whatnot, although it would be hard to reconcile such a claim anyway given the history of land transfers since 1200 BC.
The name Israel first appears in the stele of the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah c. 1209 BC, "Israel is laid waste and his seed is not."[21] This "Israel" was a cultural and probably political entity of the central highlands, well enough established to be perceived by the Egyptians as a possible challenge to their hegemony, but an ethnic group rather than an organised state;[22] Archaeologist Paula McNutt says: "It is probably ... during Iron Age I [that] a population began to identify itself as 'Israelite'," differentiating itself from its neighbours via prohibitions on intermarriage, an emphasis on family history and genealogy, and religion.[23]
However, the 'intertestamental' period is more than ancient enough for me, frankly. I don't recall any Caanite groups that have shown up to demand that all the Jews be kicked out and whatnot, although it would be hard to reconcile such a claim anyway given the history of land transfers since 1200 BC.
@GeoffP --
There have been tons or archaeological reports on that area, a large number of them done by Israeli archaeologists. In fact Israeli archaeologists have been quite honest in admitting that there is no evidence for the Exodus story at all.
Actually the explanation that best fits the facts, or lack thereof, is that Exodus is an example of Hebrew epic storytelling, much like the Odyssey and the Iliad are examples of Greek epic storytelling. In fact, according to this archaeologist quoted in the NY Times, there isn't any evidence to suggest that the Exodus actually happened, and that very few(said in the article to be one) archaeologists will even suggest that the events in that book could be true.
Were there Hebrews in ancient Egypt? Yes, there were, but they weren't slaves and there weren't the six million quoted in the bible. But there's more, not only were there not that many Hebrews there, but the never left en mass and wandered around in the desert for forty years(or even one year).
Does this mean that the Hebrews didn't live in ancient Israel? Of course not. Again, I never said this.
@Adstar --
Prove it. My statement is supported by...oh, I dunno, just the entire experience of the human species. Your statement seems to be supported only by the hot air coming out of your mouth. Care to put your money where your mouth is?
There have been tons or archaeological reports on that area, a large number of them done by Israeli archaeologists. In fact Israeli archaeologists have been quite honest in admitting that there is no evidence for the Exodus story at all.
Actually the explanation that best fits the facts, or lack thereof, is that Exodus is an example of Hebrew epic storytelling, much like the Odyssey and the Iliad are examples of Greek epic storytelling. In fact, according to this archaeologist quoted in the NY Times, there isn't any evidence to suggest that the Exodus actually happened, and that very few(said in the article to be one) archaeologists will even suggest that the events in that book could be true.
Were there Hebrews in ancient Egypt? Yes, there were, but they weren't slaves and there weren't the six million quoted in the bible. But there's more, not only were there not that many Hebrews there, but the never left en mass and wandered around in the desert for forty years(or even one year).
Does this mean that the Hebrews didn't live in ancient Israel? Of course not. Again, I never said this.
@Adstar --
Prove it. My statement is supported by...oh, I dunno, just the entire experience of the human species. Your statement seems to be supported only by the hot air coming out of your mouth. Care to put your money where your mouth is?