Where the Israelites ever really in Egypt?

Question

I've seen this question answered on here before, but not very well.
I've looked for reputable sources but the ones on both sides of the issue look like propaganda sites. The christian sites that seem to take at least a passing interest in scientific evidence has a weak argument, showing that there may or may not have been israelites in egypt at some point in time, while the ones claiming that they were never there look a bit sketchy.

Ugh, forgive the poor grammar, I didn't catch it till after I posted.

The kind of proof I'm looking for is more along the lines of things written in hebrew in egypt from that time, or things found in the desert where they were supposedly wandering around for 40 years, or geological evidence showing signs that the 7 plagues happened.

Interesting dbytz, I think I might be better off reading some history texts rather than asking on here, just thought I'd give it a shot though.

Answer 1

I actually found a very good biblical archaeological site that reluctantly came up with the conclusion that there is very little evidence for the Jews ever being in Egypt. Note: the reason I say good is not that they failed to provide evidence or make their case, but because they presented all the facts that they knew and objectively analyzed them. Contrast that with the show "The Exodus Decoded" which threw a lot of speculation together and tried to present a cobbled together theory as plausible.

To answer your question, there appears to be very little or no evidence of the Hebrew people living in Egypt, well at least not from the Biblical sense. The Egyptians did conquer Canaan around the 15th century BC, and probably had proto Semitic slaves, but none identifiable as Jewish. The Hebrew culture appears around the 12th century BC.

On the side, it is becoming increasingly clear that the pyramids were not built by slaves, but by voluntary workers. I believe that the pyramids were all constructed several centuries before the Hebrew culture appeared.

Answer 2

check out
The Mystery of the Copper Scroll of Qumran: The Essene Record of the Treasure of Akhenaten

It explores just this very question.

Evidence in the book: The fact a small esoteric jewish sect (essenes) had a copper tablet made to the exact weight and design that would have been made by the ancient egyptians centuries before in Ankhenaten's time...

Ankhenaten's city "armana" (also known as Ankhentaten) contains passages from the OT before they were in the OT, such as some of the psalms

Jewish pottery centuries later bearing the Aten solar disc symbol centuries after it rightly should..and after the Ankhenaten heretical period was long over

The fact Moses is an egyptian royal name, and by examining the bible it could be argued that Moses did not speak israelite (hebrew or proto hebrew?)


etc...

Of course the Jews themselves largely deny that the gained ANYthign from egypt. A standard Jewish interpretation of the whole Exodus etc period in egypt is to see it symbollicaly. The symbolism runs that Egypt is essentially a place of darkness, ignorance. That by leaving egypt they are coming into the light and toward God.

You decide

Answer 3

I haven't read his citation on the subject yet, but Hitchens mentions evidence that the Hebrews were in about the same area many thousands of years ago: the lack of pig bones in garbage pits in the area. Also, there's the fact that Egypt doesn't mention this whole incidenct with an entire civilization leaving and slaughtering their army. You'd think that would be a pretty big deal.

However, there is strong Egyptian influence on the Bible, and that could be one source of the eventual transition of the Hebrews from polytheism to a sort of monotheism (where other gods existed but were inferior--you see this in a lot of places) to full on monotheism.

Answer 4

I don't believe there is any proof of that.

"There are many reasons why scholars believe that the story of the Exodus may not be a literal tale. Of course, one reason is because of the lack of specific evidence of the Exodus in a land that has been pored over by archaeologists. During the historical period in which we believe, according to the Bible, that the Israelites inhabited Egypt over a period of 430 years, we find considerable documentation of even such trivial matters as marriage contracts and shopping lists, but we find no real substantial evidence of horrendous and supernatural plagues. We find, for example, records of the level of the Nile, but no records of it ever having turned to blood."

Answer 5

what kind of proff do you want we know the Egyptians kept slaves they used to help build the pyramids and dig the tombs. I accept what the bible tells me. Joseph lead his father and brothers to Egypt and they were there 4 many years until moses lead them out of Egypt

Answer 6

How else would they feed the crocodiles?

Kidding... but the Egyptians weren't very nice to the Israelites.. they probably fed a few crocodiles with them.

Answer 7

The short answer is if there was an exodus that the myth is based on it was nowhere near the scale the bible puts it on.

Answer 8

who do you think did all the manual labor for the pyramids?