5 Exodus in Historical Perspective (Jewish History Lab)

A brief look at the Book of Exodus in Historical context. This lecture is also part of the course entitled Biblical Jewish History: From Abraham to Bar Kochba. Course information and registration here: henryabramson.com/course/bibl...
For recommended reading, please visit: henryabramson.com/recommended...
Interested in studying more deeply? Join our learning community of students, researchers and colleagues: / @henryabramsonphd
Online Courses:
Biblical Jewish History: From Abraham to Bar Kochba
Course information and registration here: henryabramson.com/course/bibl...
A Thousand Years of Ashkenaz!
Course information and registration here: henryabramson.com/course/a-th...

[@gregcollins7602]

Thanks Henry. This West Texas gentile is really enjoying these lectures.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you like them!

[@aleksklax6129]

Dr. Abramson, two great anecdotes from your youth. You transported me to both a timeless story and a personal story..I can still taste the horseradish! Chag Sameach!

[@johnbecay6887]

thank you for the personal remembrances. It adds a depth to this lecture.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you!

[@sykuiim]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD I will take a look. Hope you have a chag sameach!

[@lordemed1]

To us jews "The Exodus" is the Greatest Story Ever Told.. We will never know for certain "what really happened" as no written documetation from this period exists, and archeological artifacts are very few. We are left with our own imaginations. The sages had powerful imaginations.

[@mikev4621]

For those persons who are comforted by an historically real Exodus, you have done a wonderful service.Perhaps now you could turn your attention to proving Santa Claus actually lives at the North Pole.

[@omeryugenkorat8783]

Loved hearing the personal experiences you shared. Its very different to growing up in Israel

[@tomsuiteriii9742]

You make some great points. One aspect of the Bible that you touched on-and that is rarely mentioned-is that it is the first instance of objective “history” even before the Greeks invented the formal discipline in the 5th century. It is far from Israelite propaganda; the Hebrews are displayed in a negative, disobedient light more than in a positive one (hence the prophetic call to repentance). Other ancient Near East and Mediterranean cultures didn’t have “history”-they had imperial propaganda, creation mythology, and heroic epics (Gilgamesh, Iliad, Aeneid, etc.).

[@NullStaticVoid]

I think it is better to view it as a collection of parables. Sometimes these parables may be staged using real places, people and events. But they are still stories told to teach a lesson. They certainly were not written for the edification of their neighbors in the Near East I'm sure the ancient Jews had their own victory monuments to celebrate their battles with Canaanites.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Very thought-provoking observation.

[@tarhunta2111]

Total bullshit.You have been driven mad by Hollywood.

[@Pamsouthdakota]

Thanks so much for these lectures

[@MaryamMaqdisi]

So many great points on Exodus, thank you for this

[@bettymaines6305]

Darn, no Red Sea - and it made such a great movie scene. On a serious note, it is important to dispel these falsehoods.

[@laurenannkattner7030]

This is a fantastic presentation! It provides me with new insight that I can share with my history students.

[@jlupus8804]

This is very refreshing after watching a black Hebrew Israelite argue that the real Exodus happened in Arizona

[@jlupus8804]

@@shainazion4073 Right after the "manna and quail from heaven", which just turned out to be KFC.

[@alexanderhuzau6850]

Relatively recent discoveries (1973) consider that Jebel Musa is located in Saudi Arabia and is named Jabal al Lawz. Some biblical texts shows that mount Sinai is located in the land of Midian which is actually Saudi Arabia. The people conducted by Moses reached the Red Sea coast at Nuweiba when the Egyptian army was already very close to them. Check the net for "The real Mount Sinai "

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you for this contribution to the discussion.

[@markskeldon1347]

Comparing the details of the journey through the "wilderness of the the Red Sea" and the number of days and many other details, a crossing of the Red Sea's Gulf of Aquba makes lots of sense. In my mind more sense than the Sinai location chosen by Helena in ca. 330 A.D. I lean toward a crossing at the Strait of Tinian.

[@WINKlerEnterprises]

Yes, Alexander, as I understand it, the land of Midian is in modern day Saudi Arabia. Dr. Abramson, what do you think about the evidence and logic of the film, "Exodus Revealed! Hard Evidence in Red Sea of Israel's Escape From Egypt"? It can be found (currently) on KZbin at kzbin.info/www/bejne/fn6an52AqsalqMk or can be purchased as a DVD.

[@KTRAsia]

Really find your channel insightful

[@Jsmith2024]

Thank you again for another excellent video. I enjoy the history and the light-heartedness throughout.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@An_Economist_Plays]

Fascinating, indeed, especially on linking the tabernacle to Pharaoh's camp. I will have to read more on that, for sure!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Enjoy in good health!

[@1BestCookie]

Tabernacle is that the mishkon? I am more familiar with the Hebrew names

[@Sam_101.]

@@1BestCookie yes

[@Jim-sb7dt]

Always thankful for these/what you do.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Enjoy in good health!

[@NullStaticVoid]

About the 600k. In studying early Buddhist texts, we often see similar very high numbers. The Buddhist texts are of a similar antiquity. Such that math as we know it was not a common skill. So any very large number, in Buddhist terms we take to be expressing infinite. Or at least it is appealing to a sense of so large as to be uncountable. So we have an uncountable/infinite large sum, but with a leading digit such as 7 or 5 or 6 which holds some other meaning as well, depending on the tradition we are talking about. In my studies of Buddhism I came across this a lot. Since the parables and other stories passed through the filter of oral tradition before being written down (same as with Islam and Judaism). I think it is important to recognize that any color, number, animal or flower etc is there for a symbolic reason. These symbols are not the same as what they mean now. I think in these oral traditions these symbols loomed larger. Communicating more than our modern, easily taken for granted words.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Very interesting!

[@bennettbullock9690]

One thing that I always found interesting was the name Moses, mosheh. In Egyptian, ms means "son", and it is often used in theophoric names such as Ramses -> ms ra -> "son of Ra", or Thutmose -> ms djhut -> "son of Thoth". The reason we put the god's name first is that in Egyptian you *wrote* the god's name first, and then wrote the rest, but you pronounced it in the reverse. So Moses is the son of whom? Is he the son of nobody - delivered in a basket - or if he is the son of a God, why is that God not named? I subscribe that it's an inter-linguistic play on words, of the kind you see all through Genesis.

[@YannisH]

I am so excited about this series!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Enjoy in good health!

[@Hellbender8574]

Interesting short presentation. Thank you

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you liked it!

[@ricardofolive]

Toda rabah. Excelent class

[@AB-et6nj]

Many nomadic groups all over the world leave behind plenty of material for archeologists to investigate, even in the pre-Israelite communities, so it's quite unusual that there's next to no archaeological evidence for the purported Exodus. Also the whole description of the Exodus makes references to cities and places that existed around the 7th century BC around the time the Hebrew Bible was written, which is nowhere near the time of the estimated exodus, so it seems plausible a lot of it wasn't accurate and relied on either very faulty memory or was embellished in many ways. In fact very much in the Hebrew Bible was embellished to serve the momentous time of the 7th century, when it was put together and compiled. Israel Finkelstein, the Israeli archaeologist and professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University, does a good job of explaining this in his "Unearthing the Bible" book, as he also seriously doubts the historicity of the Exodus account in the Bible.

[@toddeaton3269]

Any who would put aside such assumptions and come here to actually go the route would see all that deluding fall by apparent evidences overwhelming (no need to dig it's at your feet!)... Archaeology has been far from the route mostly ("Sinai" the peninsula) and at times so close but merely almost (Jebel Haroun, Wadi Musa). Ancient names in Torah are still intact at many points along TheWay!

[@txvoltaire]

Even back then, men wouldn't stop and ask for directions!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Ha

[@nobodysbaby5048]

Muffled Laughter.

[@juanverhelst871]

Thanks indeed! Very interesting lecture.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@richardglady3009]

Wonderful video. Thank you.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidsavage6324]

Oh horseradish. My first Seder ever for a college class function, I showed up on LSD; when the horseradish was passed to me, I didn't know what it was. I took a huge pinch-- but I couldn't very well spit out sacred food so I ate it-- but man was it seared in my mind forever, and laughing about with seder neighbors. C'est la vie. Life is bitter. Laugh about and it all seems medicinal in hindsight.

[@NullStaticVoid]

being on LSD I think you exercised some mind over matter.

[@davidsavage6324]

@@NullStaticVoid I really exercised mind over matter another time on acid at college, my 3rd acid trip; I went out to a fire in the woods and spun around like a whirling dervish and collapsed on my back staring up at the sky; in a seeming second the sky turned from night to morning; I stood up and the fire was smoking but not burning; a big rock was smoldering in the midst of the fire pit; for some reason I reached down and started petting the rock; my friend yelled at me, shooing me away "David! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I said "Eric! Don't you ever tell me what to do!" and I picked up the rock and smashed it and somehow my hand wasn't burnt at all! It wasn't enuf to sway me from an atheistic perspective at the time but I always acknowledge it as unexplainable by conventional means of course.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Unusual experiences.

[@seanhogan6893]

I just watched this and came to the comments to find the horseradish anecdotes. I was an adult when I was invited to my first Seder. There was dried horseradish - a bit tasteless at first and then suddenly my nose is tingling and eyes watering and then my whole frontal lobe explodes. And then it's over. How is that even possible?

[@joelwateres]

I really enjoy your teachings Have been bar mitvahed unpleasant Hebrew classes, my grandmother lit Shabbat candles , Passover and was forced to synagogue for the two high holy days we kept 3 sets of dishes meat dairy and paper for Chinese takeout and when grandma was up in the Catskills typical Brooklyn Jew I think . At age 50 I decided to go to temple on the holy days it was very reformed and was a turn off. At age 64 I bought a complete set of Rashi Torah saperstein edition. And try to read it and get great satisfaction. I pray every day My own prayer to the creator and master of the universe I face east and I don’t know a word of Hebrew other than those words everybody knows since many Jews argue over what’s correct , I say my way is correct for me I know no other way. I once heard you say that some group of Jews say pray this way some say that way so who’s right ? I say “The person who has faith their prayers are being heard “ I find praying very personal and rewarding I learn much from KZbin and really enjoy your talks just thought I would thank you

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I appreciate your kind words!

[@joelwateres]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD I was born a Jew and bar Mitzvah but My question is are you my crutch or what g-d intended me to be ? And u the tool.

[@quantadotonium3654]

Thank you!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Welcome!

[@mortglazer1756]

RE: Exodus Story, I recently viewed a podcast about the drowning of the Egyptian army chasing the Hebrew people as they fled Egypt…only one survivor…of the Egyptian army..it happened to be Pharaoh..who would later to testify to his people the Exodus story as it is told in the scriptures. Your comments, Dr. Abramson.

[@petervanschie7161]

Shalom Dr. Abramson, While watching one of the more recent episodes of Jewish History Lab I decided to watch the whole series. I myself have a strong connection to the Jewish people and/ so I'm very pleased with your series. Watching this episode (no.5) I have some questions: are you familiar with the work of David Rohl? I find his book 'Exodus, Myth or History?' (and accompanying lectures on DVD) very intriguing. 2nd: Your use of the term 'Jewish people' (or 'Jews') in this early phase of history sounds anachronistic to me, because at that time the Jews were just one of the twelve tribes. Shouldn't you use: Israel or the Israelites? Thank you very much for your very interesting series about the history of Israel. I'll watch all episodes b'ezrat H"

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Hello! Not familiar with his work, will have to check it out. Meanwhile your other question is answered later in the series.

[@historicalminds6812]

It seems that scholarship has leaned towards more of a middle ground between the maximal and minimal approaches. Hopefully more can be found soon and we can get a better idea of what happened.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Scholarship has yet to come to consensus, I think.

[@Imrepenting]

The route on the map is wrong. From Gebel Musa the next stop should be Pi Hahiroth, then across the Gulf of Aqaba (the Red Sea) into Saudi Arabia.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Have a look at Dr. Kitchen's work for a detailed analysis of why he believes this route is the most correct.

[@alimaclean5777]

Actually, it's more accurate than we realise. I too, used to think that Mount SInai was in Saudi Arabia but I longer think that because of an important reference to the distance to where the mount is located. I now believe Mount Sinai is somewhere south of the border of Israel. Whatever mountain Horeb is, its only 3 days journey from where the Hebrews live in Egypt. Exodus 3:18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a *three days’ journey* into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ Moses leaves the land of Midian and travels West to arrive at Mount Horeb where he has an encounter with God. That can only mean that it's West of Edom and Midian. Exodus 3:1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. I've so far learned there are three possible mountains that could be the historical Mount Horeb/Sinia (Mount Halak, Jebel Karkom and Jebel Sin Bishar)

[@bluellamaslearnbeyondthele2456]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD possibly because he can't face up to a split sea as a real event?

[@finalfrontier001]

@@alimaclean5777 No one cares about what you think we can show proof it is.

[@alimaclean5777]

@@finalfrontier001 I can show you proof it's fundamentally not any where near Saudi Arabia. There's a reason why its called Mount Sinai and not Mount Arabia, its in the Sinai

[@strangerbythebay]

Very fascinating and informative as always, thank you for presenting these mini lectures. I do wonder how much of Kenneth Kitchen's personal experience as an evangelical Christian propels the maximalist momentum of his academic works. Perhaps the danger with the maximalist approach is that in its exhuberance to corroborate and fill in the gaps in the archeological and the historical record, it ignores the reading of these texts not as literal history, but as sacred history. The anxiety of the sacred reading of these texts and the historical record somehow not corroborating and thus being mutually invalidating or posing a threat to each other's authority, is maybe a modern anxiety. I'm hard pressed to believe that ancient near eastern people would be terribly concerned with historicity rather than seeing these collections of works as deliberate recasting, amalgamation of events, ritualized exaggeration, ommision, addition, borrowing, sacred retelling of collective, oral and written stories, some, certainly, containing tantalizingly historically factual details and echoes of past events, but always in service of presenting a sacred narrative of a people's relationship with the divine.

[@ronaldalanperry4875]

The Bible is Holy Scripture not because it is necessarily accurate in every historical or factual detail but because it's WHAT WE HAVE. Nothing in this world is perfect, and we have no right to assume that God must leave us with an absolutely infallible record of the words and deeds of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, etc. just because we poor humans think it would be convenient. The Biblical record, incomplete and imperfect as it may be, is powerful enough to inspire us to think sublime thoughts and lead great lives - as Mr. Abramson so eloquently points out.

[@yourthought2333]

Reminder set 😉

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

😁

[@PrototypeOnDemand]

I like your channel ! thank you

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you too!

[@Bbarfo]

Another interesting presentation, thank you. From the discovery of ancient Egyptian writings and archeology it appears that Egypt controlled a large region of land during the time of the Exodus. I have read the book "The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts" by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman. It indicates that the Egyptians had military style garrisons in the Sinai Desert and governed Canaan. So the Israealties would have fled from one part of Egypt to another. A very interesting book with great depth but it also raises many more questions.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thanks for sharing this reference.

[@Bbarfo]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD Another good book on the subject is The Exodus by Richard Elliott Friedman. He argues that the Exodus occurred but in a smaller scale and that those who fled Egypt were the Levites.

[@proverbalizer]

I find it odd that Hebrew writings don't even mention any pyramids (or do they?)...makes you wonder what part of Egypt they were in

[@ennisel]

Shalom Dr Abramson - Thank you for your time in answering this question please! Is it correct that the anniversary of setting up the Tabernacle (mikdash) in the wilderness; is 1446 +2001 = 3447 years ago today: Nissan 1, 5781 (March 14, 2001)? Toda raba 4ur time ⌚ Ennis Lorédon

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

There's quite a bit of discussion about the chronology, too much for this forum. Wait for the text version.

[@simban00]

Henry you are the best Jewish historian on YT. Although I do not agree with everything you say I do like the fact that your teachings put things into certain perspective. Moses is 27 generations from Adam 3761 BC. 27x33=891. 3761-891=2870BC. If the Exodus was a real event then this is the date that I would put it at would you agree with this?

[@johnfleming7879]

what year do you think it is?Basically, they didnt carry a lot with them that would leave traces

[@kernlove1986]

Dr David Falk gets deep into this subject as well.

[@edberge]

I had understood the Golden Calf story to be a political /theological put-down of the Kingdom of Israel (who worshiped El, customarily portrayed as a bull) by the Judahites (who worshiped YHVH); is this no longer a view that has scholarly support?

[@DonYoung-zi1gw]

To archeologist, their understanding of biblical chronology is written in stone and not to be questioned. They will say that when Joshua encountered Jericho, it had not been inhabited for 300 years, although the city was destroyed exactly as described in the Bible. David Rohl uses the real destruction date as one of the points in history to count back to the exodus to correct the timeline. Ramses II could not be the pharaoh of the exodus because during his reign Egypt was rich and powerful. His army didn't drown, his economy was not decimated as that of the pharaoh of the exodus. You can begin to find the biblical events when you fix the timeline! See the book ' Exodus-Myth or History?" by David Rohl.

[@MOISHE401]

What are your thoughts about the book HIDDEN TREASURES by Zamir Cohen ?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Not familiar with it, sorry.

[@parnoss]

I think it is the LXX that calls the Yam Suf the red sea - it uses the word Erythros, or red.

[@robertomorales8286]

Excelente lab conference.I would suggest from the geographical point of view that you refer to the land of Canaan instead of land of Isreal,becuase the land of Israel until the first israelite monarchey.

[@VSP4591]

Regarding the Tabernacle. It is known that the architecture of Greek temples had been inspired from Egyptian temple. It is very likely, after so many years in Egypt, the Jews to take the same template of a Pharaoh camp and apply it to their needs.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Perhaps

[@cinnaminson0653]

I love all of your lectures. Is it possible to do a lecture on the origins of the worship of the Jewish God and how he became the One God? I know what his name is supposed to be but out of respect to you I wont say his name.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I generally only lecture on human history, but thanks!

[@petealonso2535]

I was surprised you did not mention nor the exodus map in your presentation indicate Pi Hahiroth nor the Naweiba peninsula before crossing the sea that the Almighty parted .

[@edwardolson8996]

There would have been no reason why the "Almighty" had to part the Red Sea, or any other body of water. That is, if the Exodus story had any shred of truth. The way for the "slaves" to escape to the promised land is glaringly obvious, Just walk north on the right ( east ) bank of the Nile, and when they come to the Delta, proceed northeast until they arrive at the Mediterranenn Sea, then go east, crossing the Isthmus of Suez, where the canal is now. There would be no reason why they would even have to get their feet wet. And it would take, at the most, a few weeks to reach their destination, not forty years.

[@jasondusek1792]

How do we know the orientation of Ramses' camp?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Check out the references provided in the lecture for the discussion.

[@jasondusek1792]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD Maybe it's because the "upper Nile" is in the south and Egyptians oriented their geographical illustrations according to the Nile cardinals? This is speculation on my part. Although I found a short write-up by Dr. Homan, it draws on his "To Your Tents, O Israel! ..." for the diagrams and does not explain the orientation. www.thetorah.com/article/the-tabernacle-in-its-ancient-near-eastern-context I lack an institutional affiliation and am not able to obtain "To Your Tents, O Israel! ...".

[@nasirzamir550]

A question sir. Did musa a.s. fought the midianites

[@johnbanwell6391]

What are Israeli archaeologists saying about the Exodus?

[@conociendoelislam85]

No puedo creerlo que lo perdí!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Espero que lo hayas encontrado

[@Retarmy1]

I'm not understand what is wrong is with the horse radish

[@beliefinjustice448]

המון תודות על ההרצאה הנהדרת הזאת. רק חייב להגיד שאני חושב שלא השתמשת במילה corroborate בצורה הנכונה. רצית להגיד is consistent with, לא?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you enjoyed the lecture--I'm not sure which מילה was not בצורה נכונה.

[@beliefinjustice448]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD You mentioned several times that there was evidence outside the Exodus story that “corroborated” the story. I think you meant that the evidence was “not inconsistent” with the story.

[@beliefinjustice448]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD or maybe you meant that certain details of Ancient Egyptian culture in the Exodus story have been corroborated elsewhere? That’s what this Israeli professor seems to be saying: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWS4coOod81rirc

[@zdzislawmeglicki2262]

May not the story of Exodus be a conflation of different stories that took place at different times? This is not uncommon when stories are related orally over centuries before they're written down. The timing may get easily confused. An example could be the story of King Arthur that, some claim, is a conflation of stories about two different historical figures, Lucius Artorius Castus and, perhaps, Riothamus . In the Exodus, the story of the plagues may well be related to the Minoan eruption (1642-1540 BCE) as Simcha Jacobovici asserts (were Jews the same as the Hyksos?), but that story precedes the Exodus by... some 300 years, if we are to identify the biblical Pharaoh with Rameses II (1303-1213 BCE). Although separate, they may've been conflated in the traditional Jewish narrative before it was committed to pen and papyrus... when exactly, in the Persian era 700 years later (587-515 BCE)? Now, about what we find on Rameses II mural, the battle and the river in which his enemies drown. Perhaps we're witnessing here two opposite and equally mistaken narratives of the same event. From the Egyptian side, once they saw the slaves running into the swamp, they assumed they'd all drown and turned back. From the Jewish side, by following Moses, who knew the terrain, they crossed the swamp and not seeing anyone pursuing them assumed the pursuers drowned. No irony on either side.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Beyond the scope of a brief comment box.

[@eliyahufogel]

Strewn chariot fragments were discovered on the seabed in the gulf suez, so unless you think there were two identical events that's the place of the crossing

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Provide a source, please.

[@eliyahufogel]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD there is video footage, and it's a documentary. I'll look for it

[@mgovernale22]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD Thank you for your presentations on biblical history. I so appreciate it! I’m not sure what documentary Eliyahu Fogel is speaking about but I watched one called The Patterns of Evidence in Exodus. The director goes talks to historians & archeologists and finds evidence that supports the biblical exodus. He has the crossing at the Gulf of Aqaba. patternsofevidence.com

[@lisamoreno7900]

Revelation( 2:9 ,3:9) ,.luke 21:24 ,Deuteronomy 28:68 psalm , Lamentations 5:2 83 ,Deuteronomy 28:48 ,Jeremiah 14:2. Lamentations 5:10 ,Jeremiah 17:4.,Joel 3:6 and Lamentations 4:8.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@tagbarzeev3571]

Lisa Moreno Black Hebrew israelite troll.

[@SC-nn5vt]

great series thanks. what I don't quite get is why the exodus is the Birth Narrative of the Jewish People when they've already been settled in canaan for generations. why isn't the Patriarchal Period considered the 'birth;?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

The distinction between Abraham and Moses is that the latter is associated with the public giving of the Torah.

[@SC-nn5vt]

many thanks!

[@1BestCookie]

Can you please explain how the decision was made that this was the pharaoh of the torah? There is probably history there.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

More on this in the text version.

[@1BestCookie]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD does the text version come with an audio book? I like listening to stuff. (Although I would still read it because of the many visual references)

[@lizweishaar2389]

I’d like to give this a thumbs-up, but it’s at 900 likes, and another one would only mess it up!

[@heqaib]

There are lots of historical issues you raised. For one, modern Egyptians are making mud bricks today. Tomb drawings don't really tell us anything new. All the plagues can have been concocted into some natural phenomena. But nobody can explain the 10th. Also, at Kadesh, the Hittites drowned because Egyptians could swim. They grew up around the Nile. Visit Egypt today, and you will still see kids swimming in the Nile. There could have been an exodus of a smaller group, as you alluded to, BUT I would like to propose a THEOLOGICAL Exodus. From Polytheism to Monotheism. (IMHO, this would have been harder to explain for 2K+ years. However today, by making the Exodus from Egypt a Theological one, we solve many problems that archeology can't. By the way, you can't cook in a wineskin unless you believe we got manna from above.) Lastly, you must understand that a non-monetary economy depended upon Corvee labor. It might look like slavery, but it wasn't, and the native ancient Egyptians also had to participate in Corvee labor.

[@cardinallavegeri1604]

Dear Henry it’s utterly impossible that the Israelite have crossed the peninsula of What it called today Sinai The events of the Israelite and Moses was in Yemen

[@krzysztofciuba271]

(A liberal historian) Thomas L.Thomson in The Bible in History,1999 proposes a more historical view than the real deportations (@returnings) from 9th cent.BC to 6th cent. under the Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians were moved further to the past centuries. of course, the story is not a strict history as all the Bible (bibles,books in) but an interpretation of history and has a true message (or Good News) that YHWH or (Wisdom 10:15-19 without mentioning the name of God) liberates from an oppression.ps. some people who were really in Egypt and moved later (or escaped) would maybe use Pharaon's camp pattern for the liturgical purposes

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Hmm.

[@KohanKilletz]

The reason the bible preserves military defeats is because it has an religious bias towards imposing sectarian laws and ideology on a people rather than imposing support for a political figure or dynasty. There is no lack of information about Semitic peoples in the Nile Delta, but they seem to be Canaanite not Israelite, and in fact, the difference between the two was a later construction to justify the pogroms, genocide and desecration of holy sites commited by King Josiah

[@maxsmart99]

💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@sykuiim]

Professor Abramson, As a historian, how can you speak of these stories as history when there isn't a single extrabiblical source to even give us a shred of evidence? A lack of evidence doesn't disprove yet you fail to mention that it doesn't prove either. Yes it's ingrained in our tradition, and is integral to our identify, but how can tradition be conflated with big H history? Respectfully, Your student. P.s. I am an avid follower and love your videos.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Hello Mr. Alexander--have a look at the required readings for a larger discussion of the extrabiblical sources.

[@VSP4591]

Why battle of Kadesh was not mentioned in the Bible at all???

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Not the right person to ask.

[@michaelferto6588]

...How did the east wind blow the water to create a path, for the people to pass on dry land....Could this be done today, if a wind could be artificially created?.......We kind of know your age, because of your movie experience...We may be about the same age...I am fifty six...How old are you?....

[@meirben-nun740]

According to modern biblical study there was no exodus from Egypt in the biblical epic dimensions mentioned in the Bible. Even religious biblical scholars in Israel question these legends.

[@toddeaton3269]

Modern findings have overturned those studies by narrative tracking and finding the route & locations specified... Going with modern geological & topo technology has shown the entire story to be factual in all its details, to the degree that Torah placenames are accurately descriptive with some names still similar, while also correcting nearnesses assumed and causing many presumptuous routes to be easily dismissed. In these times Scripture is proving true and being realized by any willing to have the experience!

[@DonYoung-zi1gw]

Use the biblical date to begin to search for the real pharaoh of the Exodus and to reveal it's true story in history. 1 Kings 6:1 "In the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the LORD." This verse tells us that whenever Solomon’s 4th regnal year was, 480 years before that is when the Exodus took place. Given that the traditional year for Solomon’s coronation is 970 BCE2, here’s the math: -970 + 4 (i.e. 4th regnal year) - 480 = 1446 BCE The date for the Rameses exodus theory was about 1290 BCE. No wonder we cannot find evidence for the Exodus in this time period!

[@biblicus8204]

IRREFUTABLE evidence of the historicity of the Exodus. 1- Rock with the description of the 7 years of plague in Egypt (Inmnoteph / Joseph). Found on Sehel Island in Egypt. 2- Inscription of Moses (Sinai 361) 3- The greatest evidence of the Exodus is at Mount Sinai in Arabia. Galatians 4 4- Tomb of Moses and Aaron 5- Strabo, Tacitus, Josephus, Hecateus of Abdera (Greek-Atheist), Numenium etc., quote Moses. 6- There are reports of natural disasters in Egypt. 7- Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (half) 8- The Egyptians erased their history 9- Stele of Merneptah proves that the Hebrews were in Egypt. THE EXODUS IS HISTORICAL

[@lookman-2844]

The Egyptians did not practice slavery because they conscripted the whole population once a year when agriculture could not be practiced to religious devotion involving building projects. The Hebrews (Atan worshippers) considered this sacrilege and were forced to participate. The rabbis scholarship is very poor. The exodus was not into Palestine because the Egyptian army was active up to Syria and could have wiped them out. They crossed into Saudi Arabia by crossing freshwater reed beds as described in Hebrew. They walked towards an active volcano that gave smoke by day and fire by night in Hejaz. Moises reached a sandstone formation which was an aquifer coated in desert dust. He broke the seal with his stick and water flowed out. So the Children of Israel in an area many miles north of Mecca for 40 years.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Why does everyone assume I’m a Rabbi? I am just a regular guy.

[@rickmiller8893]

Ka Kitchens like the title picture couldn't be true, as they wouldn't have been "lost" for 40 years. They were lost in modern day Saudi Arabia with the cross at the gulf of Aqaba. The true Sinai was in Saudi Arabia of the volcanic mountain there. Let's face it, I am from America... But that doesn't mean I know my way around everywhere... But anyone from anywhere else would believe me if I said I did.. Lol.

[@mikeklein9923]

Why couldn't. Moses have divinely conquered Egypt and released his people ?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Ask the Rabbi question? Aish.com?

[@mikeklein9923]

Actually the Divine part was to kill the first born. Moshe led them out of Egypt the next day. He had help ... Pillar of fire between the pursuing. Army

[@joelwateres]

I think you are going in the wrong direction . This is Old Testament written bible people who read not necessarily take it as dogma but they too enjoy the written version of genesis. I say this with respect .

[@mohamedissa8834]

Walaahi I am born Muslim Allah has judged against the Jews in general for the Jews being tough people to influence. I have seen miracles that God will send them the Moshiach as a point of redemption. May Allah redeem all Jews Christians and Muslim to the true service of God without associating any partners with God. Jews you are good people when dealing with God uphold Gods commandments God will return his favours upon you all

[@robbielee2148]

I guess the good Dr. got no time to edit the trash talk. Sad such great content but some comments about as valuable as dirt.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Sigh. I try not to exclude people from the debate, but sometimes the silly comments are overwhelming. I do block people when they act as a drag on polite, scholarly conversation.

[@robbielee2148]

Henry Abramson you are a rock in my rock garden thx

[@robbielee2148]

A rock holds up against weather & time.

[@1BestCookie]

You still need to go back and make a video on the other exiting things? I like the ironic interpretation.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

So many more videos coming

[@mitchellkatz9906]

did you see any history here

[@gospelfragrance]

Hi, thank you for your Videos. I think you are a bit bias. When the same argument is presented with the Jews in Africa, you lead us to believe that lack of evidence means the stories hold little truth. But you are forcing us to hold your story of the exodus true based on a tradition handed over to you...

[@gospelfragrance]

🤔 hmmm

[@144Donn]

As for the route taken: There is no debate where Midian was\is..it is in Saudi Arabia. #1 There is NO WAY Moses would have taken sheep from Midian\Saudi Arabia to what is called today the Sinai Desert or to Gebel Musa! So, the location of the real Mount Sinai must be in the area near Midian. Moreover, #2 today's Sinai Desert was Egypt minor. It was named Siani Desert by Constantine's mother, not because of any historical source. #3 The Jewish people were traumatized and nervous wrecks! The only thing that would have provided them with a feeling of being safe and secure would be a large body of water separating them from the Egyptians. The Gulf of Aqaba would be that body of water as it is 6 miles across. The land bridge at Neuba beach which has many relics under water pointing to horses and chariots drowning right there is the perfect spot for the crossing into Midian where the real Mount Sinai is. After studying the evidence and reading about Moses running away and tending sheep- we can triangulate to the specific region. I cannot imagine anything other than Moshe or HK"BH telling me I am wrong, that would change my mind on this!

[@toddeaton3269]

Well you're off to a good start, but we found Nuweiba "NoWay" at nearly 3x that distance and a min 750m depth (not a "land bridge") and verified it was at Tiran -very significantly(!)... The route names places and full narrative showed the entire Way topo lined on the elevations grid as 777 miles beginning to end; these times we're in really are amazing!

[@andrejmucic5003]

Why are they leaving, suddenly? Why not before? What was happening? What was happening then? Who were all the players?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Sounds like lyrics from the 1970s.

[@Alchemy8789]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD that would be a good song to listen to from the 70’s

[@TheAussieRod]

The exudus does not exist outside the bible. Probably it is just a literary exercise, not to be taken seriously

[@TheAussieRod]

@Paul Mitchell all one needs to know about the Bible, with scientific accuracy is here: kzbin.info/aero/PLh9mgdi4rNeyuvTEbD-Ei0JdMUujXfyWi

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you for sharing your perspective.

[@anthonysamuels8136]

Is not Jewish history is on Israelites history

[@MrBanguKing]

Qui peut aujourd'hui raconter l'exode sans les incongruites de la legende qui a traverse des millenaires ?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Je crois que vous trouverez le travail du Dr Kenneth Kitchen très utile.

[@edwardolson8996]

This lecture is such a disappointment. I have watched many, if not most, of Dr. Abramson's lectures posted on KZbin, and have leaned much from them. Here, in discussing Exodus, he offers ZERO evidence that such an event took place. He grasps at straws to give credence to his speculation. I won't go into the arguments which deny that this event, and the circumstances leading up to it, happened. Since there is no evidence, why bother? Common sense and logic, especially the relationship between slaves, and their owners, throughout history, argue against the interpretation which Dr. Abramson disingenuously, almost bordering on tongue in cheek, sets forth.

[@brianfelczak7235]

Joseph lived to be 110 years old and died in 1595 BCE and the 15th dynasty rulers were of Hyksos origin (semitic) and controlled lower Egypt until Ahmose finally drove out the Hyksos and founded the 18th dynasty. Exodus 1:8 "a new king" chadash - another of a different kind "new house". This would precede Rameses II as the Pharaoh during the Exodus and point to Amenhotep II as a more likely candidate. Just saying.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Lots of interesting debate on the chronology.

[@richardboli482]

Was there really a half million people in a desert. Logistics food water and a long trail of people.

[@chrisbea49]

Somewhat disrespectful towards Israeli archeologists.

[@protonman8947]

In summary, you have zero evidence.

[@gospelfragrance]

Knowledge us always bias and so is theology

[@ewnetuzegeye3306]

As labs you searching all human beings start from Jewish race ? also the neglected blacks on the globe as identity if they are not Jewish race their beginning is as nationalities ?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I just don't understand your question.

[@ewnetuzegeye3306]

AS Torah teaching i am from levi tribe who take care of the ark of the covenant that is my spiritual lab indicated who are they this 12 tribe of Israel i think they lost

[@cardinallavegeri1604]

Dear Henry There’s no such Pharaoh dynasty in Egypt and never existed Pharaoh was a king in Yemen and the Exodus was in Yemen

[@mathildestoltz7327]

What are you talking about?

[@tarhunta2111]

You have all been driven mad by Hollywood.