

Additionally, the fact that the stele depicts Israel as an established power in the land suggests that this was actually long after the time of the exodus and conquest. However, there is no record in the Bible of conflict with Egypt during the successful conquest of Canaan. Scholars holding to a Ramesses exodus see this as evidence of an Egyptian attack shortly after the Israelites arrived in Canaan. It shows that the Israelites were already in Canaan at this point, at least 40 years after leaving Egypt according to biblical chronology.
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The monument pronounces military victories over a series of enemies including the people of Israel living to the north of Egypt.įor more than a century, this was the oldest known inscription mentioning Israel. Conventionally dated to 1208 BC, it was erected in the 5th year of Pharaoh Merneptah who was the son of Ramesses II.

(© 2014, Patterns of Evidence LLCĭiscovered in 1896 by pioneering Egyptologist Flinders Petrie, the Merneptah Stele (also pictured at the top of the article) has long been the most famous artifact related to biblical history in the era of the exodus. The section of the Merneptah Stele highlighting where “Israel” is mentioned.

“For decades now, most researchers have agreed that there is no evidence to suggest that the Exodus narrative reflects a specific historical event. Widespread skepticism about the exodus pervades the field archaeology, but might this view be the result of looking for evidence in entirely the wrong time period?Ī recent article by Ariel David in Haaretz (considered by some to be the most influential and respected daily newspaper in Israel) ran with the headline: “For You Were (Not) Slaves in Egypt: The Ancient Memories Behind the Exodus Myth.” The article then goes on to give the views of leading archaeologists on how this foundational account in the Bible never happened. Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place… – Exodus 13:3 (ESV) – Challenges to the Biblical Exodus from Mainstream Academiaįew topics produce as much controversy as the question of whether or not the biblical account of the Israelite exodus from Egypt was an actual historical event. Could this skepticism be the result of looking for the exodus in the wrong time period? This list of ten remarkable pieces of evidence supporting the biblical account suggest the exodus happened centuries earlier than the standard date. SYNOPSIS: The Bible’s exodus account is foundational to biblical history, yet viewed as mostly fictional by mainstream scholars.
