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Is it true that historical evidence points to the fact that the Hebrews were never enslaved by Egypt bt lived?
in Canaan. Can anyone confirm of deny this.
:/ so many responses and links, this will take a while to see who is right.
For huffington interesting article. Still tho it does not give a definitely conclsion. It jst says the events are not accurrate bt one of the articles yor article quoted said it cold have been a smaller group of jews enslaved but they do not know.
@NDMA there is a lot of speculation in the article so it is not very reliable.
13 Answers
- ?Lv 58 years agoFavorite Answer
Yes, it's true. The Israelites emerged around 1300-1200BC in the highlands of Samaria out of older peoples. Egyptology was founded in the 19th century as an attempt to find the route that Moses took as he left Egypt, and they never found it. No historian worth his salt will tell you that the Exodus story actually happened.
That doesn't mean that it's 100% wrong, though. Execration texts have been found with Israel's name. Execration texts are clay tablets with the name of Egypt's enemies written on it, which would be ritually smashed. This suggests that there was some kind of conflict between Israel and the Egyptians as their empire withdrew from Palestine. Probably the Exodus story is a mythologised retelling of this conflict.
- ?Lv 45 years ago
There's some conjexture that the Hebrews of the Exodus may just simply had been the Habiru. Regardless of legendary and miraculous elements in its early narratives, most scholars feel that the biblical account is centered on historic realities. It's unsure if there's any connection between the Hebrews and the Habiru acknowledged in 14th century BC Egyptian documents discovered at inform el - Amarna, but many students declare that the Hebrews and the Habiru are one and the equal.
- Blaise RascalLv 78 years ago
Yes. You'd think thousands and thousands of Jews leaving Egypt and crossing the desert for forty years would have left some trace in the historical or archeological record, but none has been found.
All the evidence points to the Exodus story being a founding myth of the Israelites with no basis in reality, just like the ancient Romans claimed to have been founded by Trojans.
- NightwindLv 78 years ago
Yes. There is little evidence of them ever living in Egypt, and certainly not in slavery conditions.
Everything points to them originating in the Middle East: genetics, language, etc. The Exodus story doesn't actually contradict that part of the story.. In the Exodus, the Hebrews left the Middle East and entered Egypt, where they were enslaved. Later they escape and return to Canaan.
But what the Hebrews were precisely doing before the formation of the Kingdom of Israel is highly debated. There's little solid evidence of what they were doing. Certainly they were not writing anything down until the formation of Israel. Even of the origins of Israel are currently murky at best.
- ANDRE LLv 78 years ago
The Biblical Exodus Story Is Fiction
Just like the lack of evidence is itself strong evidence against the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites in the Americas as told in the Book of Mormon, the same is true with the Exodus story in the Torah.
Still, I didn't think all that much about it until years later, when I stumbled upon the article called, "Did Jewish Slaves Build the Pyramids?" by Brian Dunning. This article really got me thinking about the Exodus story again. Dunning's article reinforced my skepticism about the Exodus story and fueled my feelings of betrayal. I was taught for most of my life that it was a historical fact that the Jews were slaves in Egypt. This "history" was part of my cultural identity as a Jew. Even when I gave up the ridiculous, superstitious beliefs associated with Judaism, I could still proudly feel connected to the Jewish culture, which was grounded in a deep history of liberation from slavery.
As it turns out, well-known Jewish commentator and author Rabbi David Wolpe has also known about the Exodus Myth. In his article, "Did the Exodus Really Happen?" he mentions that other rabbis wanted him to keep the fiction of the Exodus story on the down-low. The basic story of the Exodus from Egypt (extracting supernatural elements) was touted to me as one of the most historical aspects of the Bible, yet it never happened. This seriously puts into question the historicity of any and all of the Bible stories.
- 8 years ago
It is unknown whether or not Egyptians ever enslaved the Hebrew people. There was a time where Egypt ruled the land of Judea. It is known that slaves did not work on the pyramids. Building those monuments was a very respectable and high paying job back then. If the Hebrew people were slaves to the Egyptians they were most likely paid servants or subordinates to the Egyptian monarchy, not true slaves.
- 8 years ago
In the days of Moses, the Israelites were in slavery to Egypt. They had voluntarily gone into Egypt during Jacob’s lifetime but were enslaved after Jacob’s son, the prime minister Joseph, had died. So, in effect, they were sold into slavery for nothing. Jehovah, in harmony with the patriarchal law of redemption and of the priority of the firstborn son, told Pharaoh, by the mouth of Moses and Aaron: “Israel is my son, my firstborn. And I say to you: Send my son away that he may serve me. But should you refuse to send him away, here I am killing your son, your firstborn.” (Ex 4:22, 23)
No redemption price was necessary for this release, nor was any given to Egypt. And when the Israelites left their slave masters, the Egyptians, “Jehovah gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that these granted them what was asked; and they stripped the Egyptians.” (Ex 3:21; 12:36) They had entered the land with the approval of the Pharaoh, not as captives of war to be enslaved, but as free people. The enslavement had been unjust, so evidently Jehovah was seeing to it that they were now given wages for their labor.
Another,
Pharaoh had changed his mind about the release of the Israelites as soon as he learned of their departure. Certainly the loss of such a slave nation meant a heavy economic blow to Egypt. It would not be difficult for his chariots to overtake this entire nation on the move, particularly in view of their ‘turning back.’ Now, encouraged by the thought that Israel was wandering in confusion in the wilderness, he went after them with confidence. With a crack force of 600 chosen chariots, all the other chariots of Egypt mounted with warriors, his cavalrymen, and all his military forces, he came upon Israel at Pihahiroth.—Ex 14:3-9.
so many more..
- PhotonXLv 78 years ago
Actually, it's a lack of evidence. Nothing has been found by archaeologists to support either the incarceration in Egypt or the four decades in Sinai. But don't listen to those evil scientists, they are trying to poison your mind with facts, don't you know?
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- sylvia cLv 78 years ago
Then I suppose Moses never asked Pharaoh to let my people go? or that ten plagues took place before Pharaoh finally let them go, and of course then there is no record of Moses receiving the ten commandments, and so of course people dont have to keep these commandments and so do away with faith in God and the people He chose as out them would come the Messiah our Lord Christ Jesus, satan is very crafty as he knows Christ defeated him at Calvary. nice try.
- Anonymous8 years ago
There is evidence to suggest that Hebrews built the Hebrews built the city Ramses. Either way you put it, they did work for the Pharaoh, as slaves aka bondservants who worked as slaves willingly, or they were forced to work and were treated cruelly, as slaves.
The Bibilcal passages refering to this are reliable. If you're talking about my people.
Israel! :D
dude, if you want answers, dont listen to antitheists.....lol @ the guy with a ton of antitheist links