The source of the following information is an article from the News Toronto Bureau by Barry Brown, dated February 27, 1988, by way of Farrell Till on the Yahoo group errancyn, "The Size of the Hebrew Camps," 5-20-00:
On February 26, 1988, the Israeli archaeologist Eliezer Oren spoke at the Royal Ontario Museum about his excavations at 80 different sites in the Sinai peninsula from 1972 through 1982. He reported that he had found no evidence for a 40-year nomadic residence in this region by two to three million people. He reported finding at the ruins of an Egyptian outpost a record of two runaway slaves who had been spotted, but in all of his diggings, he found nothing about the sightings of a vast horde of people going through the desert. "They [the two slaves] were spotted and the biblical account of 2.5 million people with 600 thousand of military age weren't?" Oren questioned. "This can't be explained unless you invoke miracles here, and I am a member of the department of archaeology and not of miracles."
Oren reported that other archaeological expeditions beside his have been working in the Sinai region for just as long as he has, but they had found no traces of human activity at all from the time of the exodus except for small mining operations that were under the control of the Egyptians. He reported that archaeologists have found none of the cities that the Israelites allegedly conquered on their way out of the region except for the town of Kadesh, but he said, "To our great surprise, there is nothing there earlier than the 10th century." The exodus, however, allegedly happened in the 15th century B. C. The Bible reports that the 2.5 to 3 million Israelites camped at over 40 different sites, taking with them large herds of livestock, but Oren reported that no evidence of such encampments have been found.
They ate manna that came from the Lord, their clothing and shoes didn't wear out - if those consumables lasted throughout those 38 years, what else lasted, and so didn't make the archeological record for that location and time-period!
ReplyDeleteWell, they supposedly sacrificed thousands of animals during the wanderings in the Sinai and all of the adults(about 1.5 million)who started from Egypt died in the Sinai--that's a lot of bones for archaeologists to find--if they were there.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as what else lasted, besides clothing and wouldn't be there for archaeologists to find--nothing else is mentioned--so it can't be assumed that anything else lasted as the clothes did.
When you have a horde of 3 million people traveling in a relatively small area with millions of livestock there should be millions of artifacts to be found. Archaeologists with their modern, highly sophisticated technology should have found evidence of the Israelites' 40 year wanderings in this area. They've found nothing.
nothing so far. Could be years before any evidence surfaces. But until that area is completely combed...yeah, i realize you don't want the Exodus to be true because that would bring up authority issues and apostates want to be the authority. Same old story.
ReplyDeleteSue, I think you are assuming way too much. 1)How do you know I don't want the Exodus to be true? Just because I don't believe the evidence comes close to proving it actually happened doesn't mean I don't want it to be true. 2)That area HAS been completely combed. Archaeologists have used the best modern technology and have found zip. 3 million people and millions of head of livestock should have left masses of evidence--but nothing has been found. 3) "Authority issues?", "apostates want to be the authority?" Just how do you know that about me? You don't--so I'll set you straight--it's not true. If Yahweh is God I want to give him all the glory and all authority. The problem is his alleged inspired word, the Bible. It has too many discrepancies, absurdities, and errors to be from God. Actually, I do believe that there is some type of intelligence behind this Universe--but Yahweh "ain't" it.
ReplyDeleteYou live by faith, not by sight.
ReplyDelete2 Cor 5:7 does say that Christians are to live by faith not by sight. But this faith must be established by adequate evidence. Even the Bible teaches that one should "Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good." (1 Thess 5:21).This means that all of the extraordinary claims of Christianity must be critically examined (i.e., proven or established as true). If this can be done then and only then does 2 Cor 5:7 come into play.
ReplyDeleteIt is alleged in Rom 10:17, that faith comes through hearing the word of God (the Bible). I challenge anyone to honestly and critically examine this alleged "word of God". If you do so, doubt and unbelief will be the result, not faith.
This post is about the lack of evidence for the children of Israel's 40 years of wandering in the Sinai. This is just one of many and even more serious reasons that reading the Bible should lead to disbelief rather than faith.