Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Steve Franklin" <criptozoid AT lordbalto.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <tladatsi AT charter.net>
To: <mattfeld12 AT charter.net>; <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 2:56 AM
Subject: [b-hebrew] Oxen & Oxcarts in the Exodus


| Walter,
|
| I am not certain what is the point of your posting is.  If
| we understand the Exodus as a series of miracles by Yahweh
| that effortlessly defy scientific explanation then yes, why
| not have them have ox carts and oxen in the Sinai?
| However, if you are asking could a mob of run away slaves
| move ox carts accros an exposed ocean bottom covered in
| mud, slime, rocks, and coral and then move those same
| carts, with oxen, around the Sinai for weeks, months, or
| years without a reliable supply of fodder and water, then I
| would say that it is probably not possible.  The Egyptians
| could probably move ox carts about the sinai on short term
| expidetions, having an well developed logistical support
| sytem back in Egypt to support them.
|
| Jack Tladatsi

How about a mob of Egyptian soldiers and sailors who remained loyal to Beya 
and
Tausret and Irsa when they were expelled by Setnakhte? Would they have had ox
carts? Could they have carried them across whatever body of water was involved
on ships?

Let's just do a little thought experiment here. If you and I were standing on
the shore of the Red Sea, or any other local body of water called the "Sea of
Reeds," and I said to you, "I will give you $100,000 if you can cross the Red
Sea in the next 2 hours," what would you do? Would you stand there waving a
wooden stick in the air praying for the intervention of the local Arabian
volcano god? Would you jump in and try to swim across? Or, wonder of wonders,
would you have the intelligence and the presence of mind to go rent a boat?

Steve Franklin