What is the Extra-biblical Historical Evidence for the Exodus?

[@jessereichbach588]

My favorite professor of Jewish-related history! Doesn't let his beliefs interfere with his scholarship. That's all one can ask.

[@obsessed2247]

always thrilling the way you combine being an observant jew and a historian 😄 it fills me with joy

[@travellintravis6373]

This guy is awesome. Clearly knows what he's talking about, presents it fairly and responsibly. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and research!

[@reneecannady9843]

Because of your lectures on Jewish history I am now in the process of converting. Thank you.

[@eastsideapologetics6147]

I’m curious, you’re converting from what?

[@tuliptulip7565]

Good luck!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Wow, that is a huge step! Wishing you success in all of your endeavors.

[@brettpinion4233]

why reject the Jewish Messiah prophesized about by Isaiah, Zechariah and Daniel among others? Friend. You might not be aware of the evidence for the life of Jesus. Evidence exists that Jesus was God in the flesh in the letters of Paul, written between 20 and 30 years (50 to 60 AD) after the crucifixion. A couple of decades later (70 to 80 AD) , the New Testament Gospels were written, which do appear to contain first-hand testimonies. Byron McCane, archaeologist and historian of religions and Judaism at the Atlantic University of Florida, both the baptism and the crucifixion are stories that the first Christians are unlikely to have invented, since neither of them “supports their interests in any way,” "the crucifixion was a humiliating punishment reserved for criminals.” In year 93 AD, the Pharisee historian Flavius ​​Josephus left in his work Jewish Antiquities at least one indisputable reference to James( leader of the church in Jerusalem) & the “brother of Jesus." Josephus specified which Jesus he was referring to by adding the phrase “who is called Messiah,” or, since he was writing in Greek, Christos. The longer passage in Josephus’s Jewish Antiquities (Book 18) that refers to Jesus is known as the Testimonium Flavianum. After extracting what appear to be Christian additions, the remaining text appears to be pure Josephus. In year 110 AD the Roman governor Pliny the Younger wrote to Emperor Trajan that early Christians would “sing hymns to Christ as to a god.” Many scholars also believe Roman historian Suetonius references Jesus in noting that Emperor Claudius had expelled Jews from Rome who “were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus.” Roman Senator Tacitus also wrote about Jesus explaining that the founder of the sect of Christians was executed during the mandate of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governing in Judea for crimes against the state, and a religious movement of his followers sprang up in his wake. In Annals of Imperial Rome, a 1st century history of the Roman Empire written A.D. 116 by the Roman senator and historian Tacitus. Chronicling the burning of Rome in A.D. 64, Tacitus mentions that Emperor Nero falsely blamed “the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius.” Many scholars also believe Roman historian Suetonius references Jesus in noting that Emperor Claudius had expelled Jews from Rome who “were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus.” Atheist, historian and Bible expert Bart Ehrman vigorously defends the historicity of Jesus, and provides a compelling portrait of the man from Nazareth. "The Jesus you discover here may not be the Jesus you had hoped to meet-but he did exist, whether we like it or not.” The crucifixion is historical (archaeologist & biblical researcher Eric Meyers, professor Jewish studies at Duke U.) As far as we know, no ancient person ever seriously argued that Jesus did not exist. Theissen and Merz, Historical Jesus, p. 63.

[@Ogofor3913]

AWESOME🙌 That last take was TRULY awesome. And am a Muslim. The whole presentation was just open minded and sincere. It makes one BELIEVE even more.

[@brettpinion4233]

Friend. You might not be aware of the evidence for the life of Jesus. Evidence exists that Jesus was God in the flesh in the letters of Paul, written between 20 and 30 years (50 to 60 AD) after the crucifixion. A couple of decades later (70 to 80 AD) , the New Testament Gospels were written, which do appear to contain first-hand testimonies. Byron McCane, archaeologist and historian of religions and Judaism at the Atlantic University of Florida, both the baptism and the crucifixion are stories that the first Christians are unlikely to have invented, since neither of them “supports their interests in any way,” "the crucifixion was a humiliating punishment reserved for criminals.” In year 93 AD, the Pharisee historian Flavius ​​Josephus left in his work Jewish Antiquities at least one indisputable reference to James( leader of the church in Jerusalem) & the “brother of Jesus." Josephus specified which Jesus he was referring to by adding the phrase “who is called Messiah,” or, since he was writing in Greek, Christos. The longer passage in Josephus’s Jewish Antiquities (Book 18) that refers to Jesus is known as the Testimonium Flavianum. After extracting what appear to be Christian additions, the remaining text appears to be pure Josephus. In year 110 AD the Roman governor Pliny the Younger wrote to Emperor Trajan that early Christians would “sing hymns to Christ as to a god.” Many scholars also believe Roman historian Suetonius references Jesus in noting that Emperor Claudius had expelled Jews from Rome who “were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus.” Roman Senator Tacitus also wrote about Jesus explaining that the founder of the sect of Christians was executed during the mandate of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governing in Judea for crimes against the state, and a religious movement of his followers sprang up in his wake. In Annals of Imperial Rome, a 1st century history of the Roman Empire written A.D. 116 by the Roman senator and historian Tacitus. Chronicling the burning of Rome in A.D. 64, Tacitus mentions that Emperor Nero falsely blamed “the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius.” Many scholars also believe Roman historian Suetonius references Jesus in noting that Emperor Claudius had expelled Jews from Rome who “were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus.” Atheist, historian and Bible expert Bart Ehrman vigorously defends the historicity of Jesus, and provides a compelling portrait of the man from Nazareth. "The Jesus you discover here may not be the Jesus you had hoped to meet-but he did exist, whether we like it or not.” The crucifixion is historical (archaeologist & biblical researcher Eric Meyers, professor Jewish studies at Duke U.) As far as we know, no ancient person ever seriously argued that Jesus did not exist. Theissen and Merz, Historical Jesus, p. 63.

[@josephhodges9448]

Thank you so much. Genetic testing, diseases, love of Chinese takeout, and family lore suggest that I am descended from Sephardic Jews who settled in New Mexico. My family has been there for centuries. Though I do not wish to convert; I do want to support the Community in meaningful ways. Your videos are helpful to me in this regard. Blessings to you and yours during the season of passover. Please pray for us children of the covenant who are in the New World.

[@skwarubwa7083]

"love of Chinese takeout" Oh, yeah, very Sephardic

[@altinokz]

I have a feeling that you will have the same enjoyment of wisdom if you watched Rabbi Tovia Singer on Tenak Talk. He’s teachings are also delicious

[@sr2291]

Are your ancestors from Madeira?

[@PapaRocks]

Thanks for your unbiased treatment of this subject and for your cool Jewish humor!

[@sandrad9695]

Gentile Christian here. Thanks for the great video! I’m seen some documentaries on both the coral structures shaped like chariot wheels that were found and the possibility of which mountain is the Biblical Mt. Sinai. They’re actually pretty substantive documentaries and I felt they were definitely worth the time. But as you say, in the end it comes down to faith, which is what has always pleased the Lord. Thanks again!

[@phillipemery572]

Evangelical seminary student here. Really enjoyed this.

[@crbielert]

Wow, I've always seen photos of that stele by itself, that's the first time I've seen the Merneptah stele in scale. Had no idea it was that enormous.

[@Simon.the.Likeable]

The very tactful description of Ron Wyatt's activities was tinged with just the perfect amount of irony to draw a belly laugh from me. Well done Rabbi.

[@USAinPhillipineProvince]

Where did he mention this? Jabal Musa was not Wyatt’s claimed Mt Sinai.

[@Simon.the.Likeable]

@@USAinPhillipineProvince The blog page with the chariot wheel, did you have a Biden moment during that part?

[@altinokz]

Loll

[@tozainamboku]

Thank your Dr. Abramson for answering the question that I asked at my family's Seder last year. Earlier in the day, while my sister-in-law was preparing our meal, she told me about the work she had be doing for Mt. Vernon. She had been hired to help with furnishing the kitchen area and determine which utensils would be considered historically accurate for the period when George Washington lived there There was one particular utensil they wanted to display, but apparently it was rare enough in the late 18th, early 19th century that they couldn't be sure Washington had one. My sister-in-law made a great effort searching Arlington county records and was able to find an inventory from the probate of Washington's estate that listed this item. She was so happy that they now could put a reproduction in the kitchen. Given this, I ask a question at the Seder, the same question in this video. I got blank stares from the whole family as if I opened a can of worms. Thank you for taking the time for answering this. חג כשר ושמח

[@gitelblima]

What was your question??

[@hfishman2147]

Reb Hillel, I appreciate your knowledge and beautiful articulation. May your Hallel on Pasach be the most beautiful to date! חג כשר ושמח!

[@ronaldalanperry4875]

What an informative talk delivered in such an enjoyable way! I'll be looking for more of your videos.

[@irrationalmale]

I respect Dr. Abramson for acknowledging that Exodus is more about religious faith than real history, but I was a little disappointed that he didn't include the fact that Egypt was the primary power over Canaan and that the Exodus would have been the Hebrews moving from one Egyptian territory to another. A more plausible theory for Exodus would have been Canaanites resisting Egyptian occupation in Canaan and that Exodus was basically a story about national liberation. Which would explain why so many Egyptian words are found in the Hebrew Bible. Moses could have been very well been a local Egyptian prince brought up in an Egyptian court in Canaan. The Levites are not tied to the land and could have been an Egyptian priestly caste.

[@giffica]

Currently writing a book on the subject of biblical historicity. First volume is the Table of Nations but I hope to eventually address this subject.

[@tuliptulip7565]

Dr. Abramson, I hope to meet you one day. Which i will if you come through the galleries of Tzfat. I just want to sit in your classes all day and learn and learn. Thank you. Chag sameach!!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Maybe one day!

[@TheDennisConway]

Wonderful, with greetings from South Africa

[@TheInnerParty]

"Faith can only exist in the universe where doubt is credible" 🔥

[@danielpalmer643]

Another important clue in the text of Exodus is that they were building the cities of Pithom and Pi-Ramesses (Ex. 1:11). Pi-Ramesses was excavated by Flinders Petrie, and was definitively built by (maybe "ordered to be built by") Ramses II to serve as his new capital. Pithom has been harder to identify, but may be a city that was built also by Ramses II but moved brick-by-brick during the 26th dynasty. The importance of Pi-Ramesses to Ramses II makes it hard for me to consider any other pharaoh as the one in Exodus. Merneptah succeeded Ramses II and was his son.

[@israeluncovered3653]

Fantastic information as always, thanks very much for all your great work :) Peace freedom & love to all ✌️

[@gahbahjj]

I enjoyed and am pleased by Dr Abramson's explaining evidence vs. proof. Faith is what's pleasing to Yahweh so I hope in future the Dr will give more attention/glory to our remarkable God/Hashem Who deserves it all rather and more so than His remarkable people Israel.

[@ericduchess8647]

Thank you once again Dr. Abramson for an engaging video. I always learn so much from you.

[@thetransplanter3337]

You deliver, every time - brilliant !

[@Drakemiser]

No offense to Rabbi here, but he makes the same mistake that academic Jews and academic Christian make by letting even their common sense be clouded by man’s bias. The trail to the Gulf of Aqaba fits perfectly with Exodus, as does Jabal al Lawz fits with Sinai. I wish the intellectuals would follow the Word of God more closely than the word of the supposed anthropology of man-many whom would like the Judaeo-Christian belief to disappear. I’m sorry Rabbi, I can’t personally account for all the evidence, but some of it is indisputable, particularly the trail to Aqaba(closed in by the wilderness), and the area surrounding Jabal Al Lawz.

[@bnibni123]

Fantastic! Your lectures are so educational. Thank you.

[@olebrgesen795]

Even Jesus, 1400 years later can’t be described or proved to exist by archaeologists - only a few words by Josefus. My thought is, that it doesn’t matter. Just believe ….. Happy Pass over to all.

[@caxtonnyahela5608]

Caxton Nyahela Much thanks to you Prof: Abramson.I really enjoy your very good lectures.Prof. writers of exodus left out many miracles of Moses perhaps purposely or by overediting.Some Luhya tribes in East Africa: Kenya in particular belief 17:43 that God gave Hebrews mana from two places,first from the sky,second from the the underground.Mana from underground included insects like ants, termites, a type of bettle lava and some inversive crops and fruits like guavas.The Luhya have kept these beliefs up to the present.The Luhya trap and eat some ants and termites live,though at times they cook them.The Luhya also trap sky mana: or quail birds ,cook and eat them,they also eat locusts,another sky mana.They believe that God told Moses that their Mana will continue to come both from the sky and from underground and they will eat mana forever providedly they obey and worship God always.To the Luhya ,a type of inversive mushroom and dwarf bees that live underground and produce honey are also mana.Its Moses who prayed to God in their great time of need in the wilderness and God miraculously provided all these types of mana

[@BrianStanleyEsq]

"All that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind" isn't very DeMille-like, either. The preceding verses, with the Lord forcing Moses to take what he knows to be a militarily disastrous course, is another part of the drama that generally gets ignored.

[@sveinoleaase759]

From a Norwegian atheist; thank you. Very enlightning.

[@avi3860]

As usual, your lessons are riveting and informative. חג פסח שמח לכ עם ישראל.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I am glad that you enjoy the lessons.

[@LawlietL93]

Hi Dr. Abramson, Thanks so much for this video. Would you consider doing one on the historical validity of the Ipuwer Papyrus and its potential relationship to the Torah given that it seems to be describing the plagues?

[@robkunkel8833]

…. this seems like a “hard question” Very interesting.

[@spinoza613]

One plague in the Ipuwer papyrus: the river becoming blood parallels the Exodus. However, the Ipuwer papyrus was written centuries earlier so it does not offer any historical validity for the Exodus. On the contrary, it suggest that the biblical writers description of the plague of blood was influenced by the Egyptian poem.

[@Yehonatan521]

Get Rabbi Alexander Hool's book called Pharoh, he shows so much evidence that the Egyptians chronology needs to be revised and that in fact the exodus occured during the 6th dynasty, exactly to when the ippur papyrus is from.

[@LawlietL93]

@@Yehonatan521 Thanks, I'll look into it! It always boggles my mind how some in academia put so much stock into Pharaonic recordings when even today in democratic society there is so much media manipulation. Its like these people can't fathom that a monstrous dictator who enslaved entire nations could possibly force his version of the media to lie or omit things when most people were barely literate and there was no internet. Nobody was "fact checking" Pharaoh. It would've been insanely easy to lie about everything.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Great suggestion!

[@kevinmurphy65]

Interesting, and very well presented, but most historians discount the event as they would assert the Exodus never happened. And your conclusion is really well spoken! Well done!

[@AxilRod72]

Thanks for the great video, this is a topic that comes up regularly. I do however have an issue with saying that the children of Israel spent 40 years in the Sinai Peninsular first off they left Egypt and the Sinai was part of Egypt back then. Second if they had stayed in the Sinai they would have been easily retaken. Also crossing a marshy area would not have been much of a miracle nor could the entire Egyptian army have been killed in a Marsh.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you found the video useful!

[@georgemccoy3500]

Henry Abramson says it isn't known for sure if the Pharaoh of Exodus was Joseph's Pharaoh. Doesn't the Bible say that "there was a Pharaoh that arose in Egypt that knew not Joseph" ?

[@futon2345]

I now have a Pavlovian response to studying Judaism and Chinese food, thanks Rabbi!

[@mikev4621]

Thanks for this honest and realistic treatment of the Exodus's historical likelihood

[@raffidonerian7562]

Its good that this rabbi admits exodus is a matter of pure faith like resurrection in the absence of any kind of solid evidence. Well done rabbi.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Not a Rabbi. Also, not precisely what I said.

[@raffidonerian7562]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD I am sorry for misrepresenting you. As for what you said, i believe you implied there is no solid extrabiblical contemporary evidence about any mass migration of hebrews out of Egypt. You even precisely said you dont even know who was the pharaoh and where is mount Sinai and when it actually happened. Otherwise, I kindly ask to provide me with any single valid contemporary and extrabiblical evidence if any. Thank you in advance.

[@raffidonerian7562]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD if not exodus, you might provide me with any single extrabiblical contemporary evidence for any of the torah events or miracles and figures (including all major patriarchs) for that matter. Thank you in advance.

[@davidfrisken1617]

Seed is artifact supported as referring to the genealogical line of the leaders of a people.

[@englishfrog]

I came across a fascinating documentary over a year ago called "The Exodus Decoded". The producer is none other than fellow Canadian James Cameron of Avatar and Titanic fame, he actually appears in a few cameos. The documentary is based on the research conducted by a gentleman named Simcah Yakabovich (sp?) and I assume by his name that he is Jewish... It's not the best history, and I do think he takes some extreme leaps in order to susbstantiate his hyptothesis.....the archaelogical dig at Avaris and supposedly finding a signet ring for Joseph being one, and finding an etching on a the wall of a cave in the Jade mines being another......but regardless it is still a compelling story.... You may have already seen it, but if not I'll provide the link at the end.....it appeals to my Scottish sensibilities because it's free 🙂He does focus in on the Hyksos (sp?) and presents them as the semetic people of the Exodus, and he also reiterates the translation of Red Sea as being incorrect....but he goes further in trying to actually locate the Sea of Reeds or Yam Suf..... Anyway, here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqKvpIylo8-piLs

[@pantonal]

This is great. Thank you for sharing this information, Dr. Abramson. I was recently enjoying some good info regarding this topic on Dr. David Falk's channel as well (Ancient Egypt and the Bible). He has a similar (albeit stronger) opinion of Wyatt. :) Falk's book on the Ark of the Covenant is also a great resource for tracing the rich influence of Egyptian culture found throughout the Bible. Bless you and your work.

[@Nancy_S68]

Your final thoughts are something I have been thinking about lately - how mind boggling it is that the exodus out of Egypt is on the minds of the people for 3000 years.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Yes, the impact of history is incredible. I'm glad that you enjoyed the video! Thank you for being a Public Subscriber!

[@mmccbb7mcb278]

Fascinating topic and highly controversial Dr Abramson. Thank you for your honest appraisal. That old saying comes to mind….watch this space. I do recall speaking to an Israeli archaeologist a few years back about this very subject, and he commented that solid evidence for an exodus is yet to be found. But it was entirely probable it occurred. Your comments about asian food was most entertaining. Happy Pesach.

[@markadamcheirif]

That ending message was beautiful and well put

[@ivtch51]

Hi Henry. Thanks for the information and for your honesty.

[@TheJKCrawford]

Succinct and well spoken, sir. I hope many more Jews come to appreciate their people's survival and see "His mighty Hand" NOT as a line from a movie but as an implicit fact drawing them to a personal relationship with God, our Creator.

[@jimmetcalf6408]

To answer the question in the title, there is no evidence for the Exodus outside the Bible. Could the story of the Exodus be a parable rather than history?

[@AaronMiller-rh7rj]

It is too significant to Judaism, Christianity and Islam to be a parable.

[@felipepantin]

I enormously enjoy your lectures. As an academic, though, it is important to note that the Merneptah Stele is the earliest extra-biblical testimony pointing to the existence of a people (the Egyptian determinative for 'people' as a group is used in the stele) known as 'Israel' and whose place of settlement (if any in particular, but that is a subject for another debate) is debated. To say that it's the "first extra-biblical evidence that talks about the 'Jews'" unfortunately induces to error. This is not trivial, as it is a distinction of major importance that the viewers need to be aware of. We are centuries, even more than a millenium away from an Israelite/Judahite cult that would even ressemble the Judaism we grew up in, which in no small measure took form in the Hasmonean period and later in the Christian era. Maybe a video in the future can take a look at early/ancient Canaanite/Israelite cult and its links to modern Samaritan cult. Cheers and כל הכבוד!

[@busterbiloxi3833]

I love this guy, but the Exodus as a historical event? Meh?

[@richardpage7323]

the most engaging discussions.

[@mmaea]

Hello Henry, My name is Mohamed and I live in Egypt. Big fan of your uploads and your opening jokes! I remember one time (many moons ago), I was at the Egyptian museum in Cairo examining the mummies at the exhibit. There was a lot of clamor around one particular mummy because the caption by it claims this is the mummy of the ruler of Egypt during the exodus. I don’t remember the name of the mummy/ruler which is why I refrain from mentioning or researching the name of the Pharaoh during the Exodus. A security guard passes by me and tells me isn’t this amazing? I told him yeah but there is no proof. Why is it this particular specimen? I also highly doubt the Egyptians would able to recover a drowned body from the sea. He looked at me with a smirk and tells me look at the mummy’s chest cavity. See that white powder? That’s salt! There’s your proof! 😀 Still skeptical but thought I’d share that with you.

[@contemposuits1983]

The white powder is more likely Natron that the Ancient Egyptians used to preserve the body for mummification.

[@georgepalavi5060]

Ramses II, was pharaoh at the time of Exodus. My source is the book: “Thiaoouba Prophecy: The Golden Planet,” by Michel Desmarquet. A most incredible book, I’m in the midst of re-reading it for the third time.

[@ronaldalanperry4875]

It's sort of a tradition to identify Ramses II as the Pharaoh of the Exodus, but really no one is sure. The Ou'ran (I don't remember the exact place) says something about Pharoah's dead body remaining as a witness to his rejection of God's Messenger, while also affirming that he drowned while pursuing the Israelites.

[@iraseiden]

Although not historical oriented this book is science oriented. Tremendous validation that the details in Torah regarding Exodus COULD have happened on a scientific level. The author is a scientist in the Royal Society and is Knighted i.e. Sir Colin J Humphreys. The book is The Miracles of Exodus: A Scientist's Discovery of the Extraordinary Natural Causes of the Biblical Stories.

[@binderchannel9454]

The most important question which was never answered by historians: was Muses a real person or just a religious biblical figure?

[@kevinscottbjornson]

What do you think about the theories of Simcha Jacobovici, concerning the Exodus?

[@esahamalainen6139]

Great explanation! The linguistic evidence presented was new to me and very interesting. What do you think about the names of Moses and Miriam? They seem to be Egyptian names which are given a Hebrew interpretation in Exodus.

[@jrpeet]

Really helpful

[@AlistairSaldanha]

Rabbi Abramson, I'd be interested in knowing what you think of Tim Mahoney's Patterns of Evidence. If you have the time, please do watch it. I was suitably impressed.

[@AaronMiller-rh7rj]

I just watched it a few hours ago! It came up youtube!

[@victoriahhigman9611]

Thanks

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thanks for supporting the research!

[@ruhmuhaccer864]

Hello Professor. Could you make a video on the theory that YHWH was Baal the stormgod?

[@64stevebrown]

Great Job presenting! I'd love to hear your presentation of the Kuzari you mentioned briefly.

[@Dg78421]

He has a video about Khazaria. Not sure what it’s called but you can find it relatively easily.

[@Saba_Seth_Holt]

Chag Pesach Sameach! Happy Passover Holiday! Dr. Abramson stated that no concrete empirical evidence of the Exodus has been found. My question is is that really the case or has the evidence simply been suppressed from the public due to culturally dominant religious agendas?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Not precisely what I said.

[@pearlbrown5333]

Psalms 147: 19,20

[@GeraldM_inNC]

To me there is only way that this Joseph...Moses story would make a lick of historical sense. That is if Joseph and his brothers emigrated during the Hyksos era. They elected to remain in Egypt when by treaty the Semites were allowed to leave Egypt after the Egyptian re-conquest of the north. Then over time they found themselves persecuted worse and worse until they wished that had left with the other Semites.

[@purrdiggle1470]

How can you discuss the history of the Exodus and not even mention the Ipuwer Papyrus?

[@BrianStanleyEsq]

As late as Ibn Khaldun, having to pay taxes to an authority seems equivalent, in the Middle Eastern mind, to being enslaved by it. I think it is likely the status of Hebrews in Egypt was nothing like personal chattel slavery, but simply being obliged as a community to acknowledge the superior prestige and authority of the Egyptian culture that surrounded them. A tax in the form of a quota of building material the Hebrew community was required to provide for some Pharaonic project could very well have been resented as "enslavement." After all, they are repeatedly described as a stiff-necked people.

[@briann8911]

Thanks for this. I saw a documentary, 'patterns of evidence' that the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt during the middle era, several centuries before the era of Rhamses II. They provided some fairly good circumstantial evidence of this, which I won't go into detail. Just wondered if you've heard of this theory.

[@michaelsmith9453]

Patterns of Evidence provides compelling evidence of the Biblical account. Too bad "scholars" are so myopic.

[@gfriedman99]

@@michaelsmith9453 Yes, scholars know about as much as experts in my experience.

[@michaelsmith9453]

@@gfriedman99 concerning "Patterns of Evidence", I found it mind boggling how so many of those scholars and archeologists could not accept the overwhelming evidence. Especially the European guy at the end when he was presented with the Egyptian's account of the Exodus story. He looked possessed and angry!

[@purrdiggle1470]

Would a strong wind be enough to dry a path through a marshland? Would a marshland be enough to drown an entire pharaohinic army?

[@allanlank]

Excellent video as usual.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you for the feedback! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. Thank you for being a Public Subscriber!

[@wimdevriend8966]

I cannot understand why anyone could be confused about the identity of the pharaoh in Joseph's time vs. the one who reigned when Moses led the Jews out of Egypt. Exodus 1:8 says, “Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” Besides, by that time the Jews had grown so much in numbers that the two pharaohs must have been separated by 2 or 3 centuries.

[@gfriedman99]

Precisely. Most estimates I have seen put the time lapse between Joseph and Moses at a little over 400 years. It is also reasonable that the pharoah when Moses originally fled Egypt was different than the one when he returned since he was not recognized by the Pharoah.

[@wimdevriend8966]

@@gfriedman99 Well, thank you. I was wondering if I was alone in this -- and I don't consider myself anything close to a Biblical scholar.

[@gfriedman99]

@@wimdevriend8966 Well I guess even "scholars" cannot know everything. But this issue is fairly basic one would assume. Moses grew up in the Pharoh's court so it is safe to say the same Pharoh would have recognized him upon his return 40 years later. But who knows... the beard might have fooled him.

[@AaronMiller-rh7rj]

Ask the person who translated and added the word New.

[@wimdevriend8966]

@@gfriedman99 With regard top the interval between Joseph and Moses, we should keep in mind that when Joseph's entire family was invited to settle in Egypt, they could not have amounted to more than several hundred, including the brothers' wives and children. By the time a Pharaoh was running Egypt who had it in for them, they had developed into a substantial people, enough to be seen as a threat, and that would have taken a few centuries.

[@georgejaquith4732]

Thank you to Dr. Abramson. I was wondering if he has investigated the historical veracity within and outside the Bible for the resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ? I would be very interesting to know.

[@AaronMiller-rh7rj]

Hello, doubt it, very much. Due that the subject really doesn't fall under Jewish History.

[@gfriedman99]

He does have content on Yeshua though I do not recall if it addresses historical events. May want to check his videos going back a couple years I

[@altinokz]

There are two documovies on Jesus that I highly recommend. But first just about everything they mentioned in these documovies I have discovered myself through my own research. I was happy to find them because they really explain Jesus! They are called 1. The Caesar’s Messiah 2. Creating Christ One of them is on KZbin. But you must have read the Tanakh and the New Testament and know them well. Have a great weekend

[@Bbarfo]

Thank you for this presentation. The consensus of those within the archaeology field (Israel Finkelstein, William Dever and others) is that the ancient Hebrews emerged from within Canaan during the Bronze Age Collapse around 1200 BCE. The Merneptah Stele is dated to around 1208 BCE; this is also the time period of the invasion of the Sea Peoples. According to Exod. 12:37, there were about 600,000 “men” among the Israelites who escaped from Egypt. Num. 1:46-47 gives a more precise count: 603,550 men who were 20 years or old and able to serve as soldiers, not counting the 23,000 Levites. If wives and children were added to this number than it could tally up to two million people. The population of Egypt during that time was around three million. There probably is a kernel of truth that a small number of enslaved peoples escaped Egypt and eventually were absorbed into the Canaanite population from where the Israelites emerged.

[@nickrhodes9031]

I just spent 15 minutes listening to your exposition, an exposition which could have been neatly summed up as 'none really'.

[@ftk-forthekingdomministrie7439]

Ex 12:38. That's all that's needed. And Josephus and Philo affirm the Bible. Let that sink in.

[@paulhicks3595]

The worst way to really investigate true history is to try to make it fit a polemical text like the bible and the worst type of historical scholar is a cleric who’s real purpose here is proselytising. A true historian has to be totally objective.

[@dpsiguy]

Shavua Tov Dr., I was a little surprised that you didn't reference the Ipuwer Papyrus. Admittedly it is a weak historical reference, but given its desription of plagues, especially "blood" I thought it would be worth a mention. For what reason did you exlude it?

[@Mas_Tun]

He excluded it because it has no relevance to the story. It's not a historical reference and wasn't written as such. It was written far earlier than even the oldest possible dating of the Exodus, it's full of internal contradictions (which is intentional, but problematic as a source), and it's actually not similar to the narrative. The main person to promote it as a source for the Exodus was the crackpot psychoanalyst Immanuel Velikovsky. It was dismissed by relevant experts many decades ago (see Lichteim's Ancient Egyptian Literature), and continued to be , see the scholars addressing it in Israel's Exodus in Transdisciplinary Perspectives. Even maximalists like James Hoffmeier don't refer to it

[@Yehonatan521]

Hello friend, see Rabbi Hool's book "Pharo", which shows strong evidence that in fact the exodus occured during the 6th dynasty, exactly to when this papyrus is dated.

[@Mas_Tun]

@@Yehonatan521 I just looked him up, and it looks like he has no expertise in the relevant subjects, or even academic credentials for that matter. Sounds like this is just the kind of poor apologetics on the Exodus which plenty of other popular apologists have published which even religious scholars don't take seriously. I'll pass.

[@Yehonatan521]

@@Mas_Tun I wasn't speaking with you, i was speaking with howard penner, and actually, it is not an apologetic work, he just brings sources and evidence and lets you do all the thinking yourself. Whether you do or do not believe in the bible, there's still mounting evidence that the egyptian chronologies need to be revised. What do you have to lose? Just read it while you sit on the John.

[@channahcastelobranco]

חג שמח🌷🌸😊

[@AaronMiller-rh7rj]

This translates incorrectly. Instead of Happy Holiday it shows Merry Christmas.😂

[@briankelly5828]

Wrong

[@AaronMiller-rh7rj]

@@briankelly5828 what is wrong?

[@jessquinn6106]

As an Aegyptologist for over 30 years, I will clearly and confidently state there has never been found in the nation of Egypt, any evidence of Jewish slaves that working to build sacred nor royal architecture. Ancient Aegyptian political and holy laws were very binding in that no slaves of any nation were allowed to build nor walk on the grounds of a Palace of a Pharaoh nor his/her tomb. This is because slaves were seen as unclean. The only way a slave could be allowed in the home of a Pharoah or the royal family is if they were to be purged and cleansed of all ills. That was 10 days of ritual with very expensive baths, incenses, oils and perfumes, for just one slave. Aside from all this we now have concrete evidence the tombs, temples and palaces were built by well paid and fed Aegyptians.

[@AaronMiller-rh7rj]

I am glad Moses wasn't a slave. I understand slaves made bricks. They weren't allowed to build, Or just enter afterwards?

[@letsrelaxwithtexts2114]

do you believe in the theory of Inteliggent design?

[@derekpmoore]

The Irish annals say the Gadelians were driven out of Egypt to Golgotha around the time of Amenemhat III or his son. This would have been several generations before Joseph. How long were the Jews in Egypt? Certainly more than one generation. It seems impossible that Joseph’s pharaoh would still be alive generations later whenever Moses lived.

[@patricialauriello3805]

I am a roman catholic who believes in the exodus because the Jewish people don't suffer for nothing. That applies to Moses and Jesus.

[@gfriedman99]

That the Pharoahs are not named in the bible means nothing. There could have been laws at the time forbidding it out of reverence to the ruler that he/she only be addressed as Pharoah.

[@emmcee662]

So informative and entertaining! Thank you Sir ❤

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I'm glad that you enjoyed it!

[@lsmart]

Dr. Abramson: Your suggestion that the Yam Suf may have just been a difficult-to-cross marshland surely does not fit the verse נצבו כמו נד נוזלים, nor the verse, תהומות יכסיומו ירדו במצולות כמו אבן ... קפאו תהומות בלב ים. Indeed, the Torah repeatedly refers to a Yam, with its water first rising like towering walls, and then flowing back and drowning the Egyptians in its depths. To ignore the unequivocal and repetitive description of this sea as nothing other than an ordinary deep water sea, and conclude that it was a marshland simply because of the name of the sea -- which could have a totally different meaning, or could be called Yam Suf because its beaches are like a marshland (unlike other seas) -- is IMHO to distort the text (irrespective of faith).

[@truthtransistorradio6716]

Please watch Patterns of Evidence! These are historical events!

[@ecuador9911]

Agree. Plus “The Exodus Case.” Too bad this presentation selectively belittled Ron Wyatt for his sincere (and I believe accurate) evidence. MANY others have confirmed Ron’s findings. Glen Fritz has short video pointing out where the BIBLE (both Old and New Testaments) indicates Mt. Sinai is and it is NOT in the Sinai peninsula. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKqnl5Z7f9mWmsk

[@truthtransistorradio6716]

@ecuador9911 I think the video footage in the red sea in Ron Wyatt's documentary is amazing!

[@patdaveydrums]

But there is no archaeological evidence, correct?

[@Drakemiser]

Wrong

[@Drakemiser]

There is a temple from 15th century(the time of the Exodus) that mentions “the nomads/Bedouins of YAHWEY”. There is also the Ipuwer manuscript that seems to describe the 10 plagues. There has also been research done of the “wilderness closing in” amd the beach at the Gulf of Aquaba that shows a elevated sand bar with a low grade and evidence of Egyptian chariots at the bottom. Across into Saudi Arabia, at a mountain range call Jabal-Al-Lawz(Mountain of Moses to the locals) there is evidence of petroglyphs of menorahs, people in battle, a mass grave site, a giant rock with water erosion where there ought not to be, for there is no water there, and there hasn’t been any wagers around the area. Close by is an area with 12 wells and palm trees. The top of the mountain is blackened but j on not in top of the rocks. You turn these rocks over and they are grey in color, like a large fire(God manifested) in the mountain. Also there is evidence of alters, and there are a couple of caves that match perfectly with what the cave of Elijah would look like. The locals even call one of these “The Cave Of Elijah”. All of this evidence is backed up and documented. If you want to see the evidence of Sodom and Gommorah, that too is also documented. God bless.

[@andrewfine2576]

Is this Reform Movement information?

[@noahriding5780]

Hi Dr. Abramson. Some of your videos are very interesting and helpful. Thank you very much. ... One thing I'm curious about is what is the Jewish view, or definition of what an angel is? I'm curious about this a friendly way. Sometimes the idea that an angel is always glowing and white with wings doesn't seem like that's all it would be. Maybe sometimes its like a resurrected family member that was a righteous person, or just looking normal and not glowing. I'm not saying it has to be either but it would be interesting to hear a Jewish perception on this.

[@georgepalavi5060]

I’m not Jewish but I find Hebrew history interesting, especially presentations by Dr. Abramson. Btw, the Exodus was during reign of Ramses II (successor to Pharoah Seti I). Source: book: Thiaoouba Prophecy, The Golden Planet, by Michel Desmarquet..

[@GeraldM_inNC]

Far too late!

[@lloydmunga4961]

Tons of physical evidence . Tons . It all happened . I believe it happened wholeheartedly. The destruction of the cities of the plains. I believe it all. God is great . All glory to God. The most high is exalted above all others .

[@onlyme972]

No one noticed.

[@mfridmanyt]

Thanks!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thanks!

[@charlesedwards5333]

"Faith can only exist in a universe where doubt is also credible."

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Probably the most important line in the video.

[@JBJ29567]

The strongest evidence for the Exodus is internal within the biblical text , as in many passages in which there is what I call "the ring of authenticity." For example, the detail with which their camping places are listed. Someone just making up a story wouldn't have compiled such a, let's face it, tedious listing. Another example would be the remark which is casually made in passing, as though almost an after-thought, that the bodies of the Egyptian soldiers had washed up on the shore of the Red Sea. I don't think it should be considered surprising that physical evidence is so lacking, because of what occurred - as an example - at the battle of Watling Street in England. Seutonius killed 80,000 Celts at this battle. Wanton savagery on his part, men, women, children, no mercy shown. There isn't a shred of physical evidence, yet the occurrence of this battle is undisputed. Yet, in the case of the Exodus, we're told that we need to have artifacts.

[@JBJ29567]

@jessematthews4998 That “consensus” is opinion and not fact, and it doesn’t obviate what I stated above. Denial of the historicity of the Exodus forces one to conclude that the biblical account was just made up by a storyteller, and this is obviously not the case. No one engaged in storytelling would give the amount of detail that’s given. As for the number you cite, that’s another question and so that is the crux of this. There are problems with numbers cited in the Torah and these need to be looked at.

[@JBJ29567]

@jessematthews4998You are quite wrong when you make the facetious claim that "no scholars would agree" with me. You really need to lay off the self-flattery. There's an extensive swath of both Jewish and evangelical Christian scholarship who do, in fact, agree on the historicity of the Exodus. I have two degrees in biblical studies, although not a doctorate. I've taken Hebrew, have looked into Ugaritic, cuneiform texts, etc. The gentleman who produced this video certainly doesn't seem to agree with you and he recites the biblical text from memory, in Hebrew. I doubt you have even read it with any seriousness more than two or three times, if even that many. Your claim that pottery would be found is laughable. The Hebrew people were living a nomadic lifestyle, not living in towns and villages. Their water and other beverages were in skins for the most part. Their supplies couldn't be replenished by going to the nearest merchant and buying more, because there weren't any. Over a period of 40 years they were exceedingly careful to pack up anything of value before moving on to their next camping location. Why no archeological evidence to support the historicity of the battle of Watling Street? You don't address that question, because it doesn't suit your skeptic template. Four cohorts of Roman legionares and 80,000 Celts dead, and not one arrowhead has been found. The stridency of skeptics like you knows no shame. Archeological find after archeological find contradicts your claims, but you never tire of embarrassing yourselves. Totally amazing.

[@SystemsMedicine]

Hi Henry. Fun video... but you did not appear to have presented any extra biblical evidence for the Exodus at all. Due to modern dna analysis, one might expect (indirect) physical evidence within a decade or so. Again, nice video, but maybe you could remake it if better archeological or dna evidence becomes available. In any case, do have an excellent holiday. Cheers.

[@yoyoho2627]

Or you could just look at the Arabia/Midian location TODAY and see all the existing archeological evidence showing the Exodus--Elim w 12 wells, uncut rock altar, a mountain w a black top, a golden calf altar, a huge split rock with evidence of water erosion and smooth rocks all below it.

[@hsmmadmunir]

Ther is an entire set of documentaries that trace the place as Nueiwa Beach in Egypt crossing into Modern Day Saudi Arabia and Jabal e Moosa (Mount Moses). Interesting watch atleast

[@marcioguerr482]

חג שמח professor and congratulations for one more interesting and inspiring video! May Hashem led us from several sorts of slavery into freedom.

[@AaronMiller-rh7rj]

Encouraging

[@everythingandmore5537]

​@@AaronMiller-rh7rj There were no widespread slavery around the time of the suppose exodus. So Moses taking the Israelites out of slavery is rubbish. These Rabii should know this.

[@AaronMiller-rh7rj]

@@everythingandmore5537 whose word are you believing?

[@everythingandmore5537]

@@AaronMiller-rh7rj The archaeologist have proven beyond reasonable doubt that there was no slavery in ancient Egypt and there was no Exodus. The Steele that says Israel was defeated in Canaan does not mention them as ex slaves of Egypt but as a nomadic people. If they were ex slaves they would have been brought back an enslaved in Egypt or had been immediately killed. No such writing on the Steele.

[@AaronMiller-rh7rj]

@@everythingandmore5537 Judaism, Christianity and Islam all believe in the Exodus. I repsect archeology but my life isn't based on it.

[@onlyme972]

Egyptian, Asyirian, Hittites no one noticed.

[@gfriedman99]

CNN and MSNBC were not invented yet

[@jodamato6362]

Thank you Rabbi..

[@robertbrockmann7576]

Date the biblical story correctly. MoSus, Moses, lived around 3,000 BC and Noah around 6,800 BC.

[@tmiles726]

Dr. Abramson, chag Pesach kasher vesame'ach . I watch many of your lectures. I notice that they are edited and some content is removed? Do subscribers see complete, unedited lectures? I appreciate your work greatly, in any event. Nachshon

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I sometimes edit out errors (unfortunately, not always) or excessively stupid jokes (also unfortunately, not always). I'm not such a smooth editor either. But the goal is to give subscribers the best version of the videos!