the Israelites wandered in the Sinai desert for 40 years?

Question

The Bible tells us that the Israelites wandered in the Sinai desert for 40 years, and that most of them died there (Numbers 14:20-24). Using the census numbers from Exodus and Numbers, that means that approximately two million people died in 40 years in a relatively small area (and we know where it is). Are you aware that there is absolutely no archaeological evidence of those people having been in this part of the world? How do you explain this?

Answer 1

For starters, please review:
http://www.bibleandscience.com/archaeology/exodus.htm

You appear have stumbled upon a couple of web sites with these "contradictions" and are re-posting them tonight.

If you run across what you think is a biblical contradiction, please first study the two sites' content below for a comprehensive list of so-called biblical contradictions.

http://kingdavid8.com/Contradictions/Home.html
http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/bible.htm

Edit:

You wrote at:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoXwDfL..lxj6DQKc5aUqoPty6IX?qid=20070328184616AAAFDGd

" am a witch ... a card-carrying pentagram-wearing circle-casting Tarot-card-reading Sabbat-celebrating witch (merry meet!)."

Are you genuinely interested in any reasoned answer or are you only wanting to stir the pot?

Answer 2

There is very little evidence that the Israelites were ever "chased out of Egypt ".
Some, followers of a self proclaimed prophet called Moses are thought to have left Egypt by their own volition.
Mose was a very common name at this time.But there is no known record of any Mose or Moses, being a high court official in Egypt during the19th Dynasty.
It is recognised by archaeologists and some Biblical scholars that many "Israelites" remained in Egypt and continued with the businesses, life and integration by marriage that they had enjoyed for centuries.
Within a decade of leaving Egypt there is evidence that representatives of those Israelites who had left, returned to Egypt to request grain and other foodstuffs.Due to a drought in the Sinai region.
As the ancient Egyptians are reknowned for recording in detail significant and insignificant events. It is puzzling to Egyptologists that there is absolutely no mention of the so called Exodus. Or the loss of a Pharaoh plus a significant number of military personal by drowning, miraculous or otherwise.
This would indeed be considered a very significant event and would certainly not go without mention.This particular era is one of the best known chronologically and in other relative aspects of all Egyptian ancient history
If we hypothetically theorise that this event occurred, or a event somewhat similar.
Then the Pharaoh who fits the Biblical time frame would have been Merenptah. There is no evidence to suggest he died an unnatural death.
The other Pharaoh who was by biblical tradition associated with the Exodus was Rameses ll. But he lived until 94 yrs and died of old age.His battles and exploits are well recorded but no mention of problems with the "Israelites" or concerns of a prospective exodus by them from Egypt.
At this time of Egyptian history the whole population was no more than 2 million.
So it is highly doubtful if the number of refugee population mentioned in the Bible is anywhere near accurate.
In some areas the Bible has given some validation to many archaeological theories. In others its information is quite disjointed and incorrect historically and geographically.
We should always bear in mind that the Bible has been subjected to various translations,as well as interpretations and much editing of the original text.
Which itself was written long after the time of the events in a style appropriate for a people who were illiterate.

Answer 3

So??? that is not the only thing lacking evidence in the bible and its a minor one. If anything it tells us that navigation was not a strong point with these tribes and neither was time keeping. 40 days in the Sinai can feel like a life time. Been there done that. There is nothing to explain from a scientific respective. Although one has to always keep in mind that the absence of evidence does not always prove the absence of the object.

Answer 4

No, they wandered in the wilderness. They actually traveled in the Sinai, in "Cush" (northern Saudi Arabia) and south of Moab (present day Jordan).

They finally landed near the Jabbok River in Jordan where Moses died.

(Actually, all of them except Joshua and Caleb died.)

Look, if you're going to try to bring up the "no archaeological evidence" thing about a mass exodus from Egypt, I'm going to put the same thing back to you:

There is absolutely NO archaeological evidence that there was a mass exodus of Sea Peoples from Greece except a few obscure mentions in Egyptian texts. Supposedly, more than a dozen ethnic groups crossed the Mediterranean and migrated through Turkey and wiped out almost half a dozen civilizations through the spread of small pox.

But they left behind NO MATERIAL CULTURE!

I guess they didn't exist, either.

Answer 5

think of roughly this: Exodus 12:37 And the toddlers of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, approximately 600 thousand walking that have been adult males, beside toddlers. Exodus 12:39 and that they baked unleavened tarts of the dough which they introduced forth out of Egypt, for it replaced into no longer leavened; through fact they have been thrust out of Egypt, and would desire to no longer tarry, neither had they arranged for themselves any victual. with the objective to start with, on the grounds that they have been in one heck of a rush to get out of there, no one had time to order a U-Haul to %. all the stuff the relatives owned. 600,000 walking purely counting the adult males. So that is not very in all risk which you're gonna haul a rocking chair with you once you do no longer even very own a camel.

Answer 6

there is no religions that holds a glass of truth except the annunakies, and other ancient so called mythological writings. when you get into the organized religions it turns into a power control propaganda. I believe there is more truth in the free writers mainly before they attached the word god, but rather called them what they really was "Star People" the battles in the sky, and their messengers sent to communicate. then rulers started calling them gods, and throwing in add on's to maintain power over the people. not saying there is no truth in the organized religion text but I believe it is full of man made up garbage

Answer 7

My, how people constantly exaggerate stories after they've been wandering in the desert. Actually, they weren't Israelites, yet. And, they weren't wandering. They were the followers of Tek-Moses who had stolen a whole bunch of treasures from the Egyptians before they high-tailed it out of there.

Answer 8

Yep, no evidence. As usual for the bible and other religious texts. They reflect the small-minded world view of their authors. That's where all the rape, pillaging, murder, sexism, and problems with math (age of old guys) come from.

Answer 9

Satan came out of the ground and ate the skeletons, just to trick you into a life without God. IT SAYS SO IN THE BIBLE.

Answer 10

The only explanation is the the Bible is completely false. Next question.