Biblical Hebrew Forum

["K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Gad:

On Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 2:36 PM, G. Zack <atdgz AT hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> Further to your mention of Hoffmeier ...
>
> If memory serves I believe that Hoffmeier shows that Ramssess existed as a
> town only betweem 1275 and 1075 BC.
>
> I had never heard of Hoffmeier before today, then all I know is from these
messages. However, in that he agrees with K. Kitchen shows that he belongs.

One of the things that attracted me to a Hyksos pharaoh being the pharaoh of
the Exodus was the deliberate destruction of Hyksos records at the time they
were kicked out of Egypt. Thus a large population of Hebrew slaves could
have left, with the destruction of the records obscuring the event from
Egyptian history.

That was only one of the clues.

Another view is found at
http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v15/i1/moses.aspwhere a
professional archaeologist claims that there is evidence of the
Exodus, only it is found in the pre-Hyksos period.

Basically, we're presented with two scenerios: either the Exodus and other
pre-kingdom writings are legends, myths with a possible kernel of truth that
is way exagerated from what actually happened; or it is accurate history. If
the former, then there is no problem with the dating of K. Kitchen,
Hoffmeier, et al; if the latter is true, then those dates are hopelessly
wrong.

For the record, which most of you already know, I personally opt for the
latter.

But away from such "historicity"-- there is, according to Hoffmeier,
> archaeological and topographical evidence that supports the Exodus narrative
> as a plausible account of some people's/clans'/families' departure from an
> abusive sejourn in Egypt circa 1230...
>
> How much do we really *know* about Egyptian toponyms from the Hyksos
period and before? Can we catagorically rule out the production cities
mentioned in Exodus as being from an earlier period? I don't think so.


> Gad Za'k
> Canada
>
> Karl W. Randolph.