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  • From: "Peter Kirk"<peter_kirk AT sil.org>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Dating the Exodus (long)
  • Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 19:31:32 -0500


Dear Walter,

First let me say that I admire your excellent English. But I do feel
you are stretching it a little far in writing: "...the Exodus in the
13th century BCE. After the 6 days war with Egypt, Israel sent..." I
did not expect you to skip over 32 centuries with only a full stop!

According to David Rohl, the currently accepted dating for Ahmose I is
1550-1514 BCE, so that the expulsion of the Hyksos in 11th year falls
in 1539 BCE. Rohl's revised datings are 1194-1170 BCE and 1183 BCE ("A
Test of Time", pp.20,131,242). Rohl identifies the Exodus not with a
celebrated victory (whose known details are quite different from the
Exodus narratives) but with a disaster recorded by Manetho as "a blast
from God", in the reign of Dudimose of the 13th dynasty - so before
the main Hyksos period. Rohl gives archaeological evidence for this
from Tell el-Daba, Avaris. He dates the Exodus to 1447 BCE. He gets
this exact date from the Bible and confirms it by reckoning forward
from Neferhotep I being contemporary with Hammurabi - whom Rohl
securely dates to 1565-1522 BCE.

With Rohl's dating, the problem you mention in your posting "Dating
the Pentateuch- Canaan's Conquest Anomalies" disappears: the Amarna
period becomes that of Saul and David. Read "A Test of Time" for more
details. The problem also disappears if you follow the generally
accepted dating.

If quail migrate south in autumn, surely they migrate north in spring?
Do they never fall exhausted after crossing the Red Sea? The itinerary
of Exodus 15-19 closely matches the known route along the eastern side
of the Gulf of Suez. Manna is also found there.

On what basis do you date the Exodus account in the 5th century BCE?

When you write, "Humanist scholars posit a date in the 13th century
BCE, ca. 1250 BCE, based on archaeological considerations", precisely
what indications of that date do you have in mind? Not a fair question
perhaps since you do not hold to that dating. But you do imply that
this dating has more archaeological basis than the 1440 date. How can
you justify that?

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Dating the Exodus (long)
Author: <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com> at Internet
Date: 22/01/2000 22:57

<snip>





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