Old Testament scholars, where did your people go?

Question

Old Testament scholars, where did your people go?


OK, for 40 years, 2.5-3 million people wander around an area the size of West Virginia. Every day they kill and sacrifice cows, sheep, etc.

Also, their God systematically kills off about 2-2.5 million of them, as well.

Where is the archaeological evidence? Why is it that archaeologists can find evidence from far smaller semi-nomadic groups in the same region, but absolutely zero for these wandering Jews?

Sammer (Jim W) --------

Try reading your response with an objective eye. Those are excuses, not answers. And, the excuses do not hold water either.

1.)Supernatural explanations do not work. Why is it that 2000+ years ago your God was a miracle-making fool, but has not done jack since then. Is he dead, sick, lazy, getting laid?

2.)I left out the sedentary issue because: a) it is debated, and b) to make it easier on you. A sedentary population would leave a greater archaeological footprint.

3.)Yes, that much burning would leave an ash lense that is identifiable. Organic material that can burn can also be radiocarbon dated. Even when bodies are cremated today, the body is not reduced completely to ash. And, fires that hot would have altered the soil chemistry, consistency, and morphology, making identification a rather trivial issue.

4.)Anecdotal tid-bits from the history of archaeology are not legitimate points. The Semitic goat-herders who lived 2000 years ago did not know that the earth was round either.

5.)600,000 remains an extremely large human population, large enough to be readily identifiable.

Finally, just consider the logistics of moving 600,000 people anywhere at any time. We could not get 100,000 people out of New Orleans when we knew where they were and they wanted to be moved.

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Shemus Would

I think the answer to your question has to be found with those who were such believers but were able, eventually, to recognize and accept the evidence and empirical reality.

In some sense, they have to make themselves blind to what is observable to everyone else. It is certainly somewhat psychological in nature. I think it is likely that in some way (not as simplistic as a simple ‘god gene’) this spiritual nature of man is hard-wired into the structure and bio-chemistry of our brains. There are certainly evolutionary advantages and/or reasons that make it a legitimate hypothesis for research.

Answer 1

Cause it never happened. Also Aaron's rod did not turn into a snake and eat Pharaoh's servants' snakes.

Likewise the Nile River was not turned into blood.

Church people believe all that stuff, and how do they do it? There's a question for you, how do seemingly intelligent people believe so much nonsense?

Answer 2

First, you made up the number. The number is 600,000 men 20-60 yrs old in the Bible.

Second the Bible answers why you don't find evidence of them in mounds - their clothes and supplies didn't wear out, and their food was miraculously produced and dissapeared every night by turning into maggots. Also, they were mostly stationary for the 40 years. They didn't wonder around the whole time.

Lastly, their sacrifices were burned whole. You'd be looking for ashes in a sandbox 4,000 years later.. Good luck with that.

Considering at one point archeologist denied the existence of the Hittites, and they had an iron age empire in bronze age middle east and were major rivals to Egypt, it's not surprising they have not found evidence of 600,000 people whose clothes and supplies never wore out.

Answer 3

Dude, these people can't even explain why man was created twice, on the sixth day and then again on the eigth day. There is little evidence for a lot of the Bible. If you press them they try to back it up with the Bible itself...oh well.

Answer 4

To Babylon.