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  • From: "Walter R. Mattfeld" <mattfeld12 AT charter.net>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Question on 18th Dynasty Egypt
  • Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2004 17:03:37 -0500

Sameer wrote:

"A related question -- what do you guys think about
Michael S. Sanders (biblemysteries.org)? I have spent
a long time on the Internet trying to corroborate his
data re: the Exodus etc. and have had a hard time
evaluating his credentials/credibility on matters
archaeological -- sorry this is a bit off topic, but I
know that a lot of you are competent in this area and
could give me a heads up."

Dear Sameer,

Michael S. Sanders' Exodus articles employ sources that are written by amateurs. He cites at times from an amateur, Herman L. Hoeh's _Compendium of World History_ (which I have in my collection), which is basically a "hodge-podge" of data drawn from Late Medieveal period composed histories of Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well as Europe, trying to relate tribes and nations mentioned in the Bible to European nations. Most professional scholars would view this "Medieval speculation" as untrustworthy (for example Scyths mentioned in ancient Greek sources are suppossedly Scots in the Medieval Histories).

Sanders understands the Exodus occurred at the interval between the Early Bronze and Middle Bronze Age, like Hoeh, the MB I being Joshua and the Judges,at the end of the 13th Egyptian Dynasty, dating the Exodus to ca. 1452 BC, but Professional Egyptologists date the end of the 13th Dynasty to ca. 1650 BCE (cf. p. 90. Peter A. Clayton. _Chronicle of the Pharaohs, The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt_. London. Thames & Hudson.1994). He has Mount Sinai being a volcano in Saudi Arabia south of Mecca, which he accepts as being Kadesh Barnea on the authority of Emmanuel Velikovsky, who's research on the Bible is regarded as dubious by many professional scholars (However, Hoeh argues Kadesh is Petra in Jordan and that the "lost tribes of Israel" are the inhabitants of the British Isles. Hoeh's 18th Dynasty under Ahmose I begins ca. 1076-1051 BC whereas professional Egyptologists date him ca. 1560-1520 BCE).

Sanders' has "a following" due to his popularized TV productions on "the Bible and Archaeology," (or "Bible Mysteries") but most professional archaeologists and bible scholars would regard his ideas (as well as Hoeh's) as "fringe" and not to be taken seriously.

As regards Sanders' arguments for a 13th Dynasty Exodus at the interval of the Early Bronze-Middle Bronze period I would suggest that you read William H. Stiebing Jr's. _Out of the Desert ? Archaeology and the Exodus/Conquest Narratives. Amherst, New York. Prometheus Books. 1989. paperback, available at www.prometheusbooks.com

Stiebing covers ALL the different periods of time proposed for the Exodus, INCLUDING the interval between the Early Bronze and Middle Bronze and notes the archaeological anomalies for this period.

Alternately, you might consider visiting my website, www.bibleorigins.net and under the OT and Geography Menus read the articles on the Exodus noting the archaeological problems for ALL periods.

Regards,

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld y de la Torre, M.A. Ed.
mattfeld12 AT charter.net







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