In his book on the Old Testament historical period, professor Eugene Merrill states, In truth, this is where much (but certainly not all) of the battle lies when it comes to debates in biblical archaeology Such is the case, not only with locating the biblical patriarchs, but also in discovering the exodus, the conquest, or Israelite kingdom under the rule of David and Solomon in the archaeological record. If we assume an incorrect chronological date for a biblical event, then it becomes very difficult, if not impossible, to locate that event in the past. Let me state here that a blog article is certainly NOT the place to learn everything there is to know about all of the complex historical dimensions of the Exodus, but hopefully it will answer some of your questions and provide an answer to those who would question the biblical record.Īs I have stated in my previous post, chronology is the key to unlocking the history of ancient Israel and to our understanding of how events recorded in the Bible parallel the histories of other nations in the Ancient Near East. Understandably, many skeptics are quick to point out that there is not a shred of historical evidence for any Israelite exodus from Egypt. The 64 million dollar question, however, is how do we know the exodus actually happened like the Bible says it did? Most Christians take the biblical account at face value and believe that it happened as the Bible says, yet few can point to evidence outside of the Bible that it actually took place. The biblical Exodus and Passover, both point to Christ as the symbolic and true Passover lamb whose blood was shed to atone for the sins of the nation and redeem all those who believe – not just for Jews but anyone who will believe. 12 18 & 22).Īs many Christians are aware, the entire Old Testament predicts and anticipates Christ in type and in prophecy. The Exodus is not just an old Hollywood movie in which Charlton Heston played Moses, it was an event grounded in history and is a record of the redemption of an entire nation based on God’s promises to Abraham centuries earlier (see Gen.

First off, I apologize for the long delay in getting this post up.Īs promised, let us now consider what is perhaps THE greatest salvation event in the entire Old Testament – the Exodus.

The pharaoh