Why do atheists attack the stories about Moses?

Question

First off, Moses lived around 3,000 B.C. so of COURSE the records for that time period are going to be spotty at best.

People say why isn't there a record for all the plagues that visited Egypt and a record of Jews being held as slaves in Egypt and the first born sons being killed?

Egypt did not like recording stuff that made it look bad and many of the records were written on clay tablets that did not last.

When you consider all these facts and the fact that Moses lived around 3,000 B.C. (just look it up it's only 500 years after writing was invented and hundreds of miles away from where writing originated) it's no suprise that we do not have complete records, but we do have the most important record of all.

We have the Bible.

Agree?

Answer 1

They attack everything because they can't prove anything. It's quite sad.

Answer 2

Well if the Bible truly is a "Work of God" the one you believe in...then there is no reason it should be spotty.

Egypt did not like recording stuff that made it look bad....wtf are you on? Are you saying that there is nothing in their written history that makes them look bad. You also have to remember that to them, they didn't think having slaves was a bad thing. The plagues didn't make them look bad...what about that?

Hundreds of miles away from where writing was originated? what hole did you crawl out of? Writing didn't originate in one spot...civilizations around the world were writing and had no contact with some other ones.

I'm sorry, but the Bible has probably been one of the worst contributions to humanity if you think of all the problems it has caused!

Liesel.

Answer 3

The Egyptians, like the Romans, were very detailed in their record keeping.

Let me start by saying, it is possible that they decided to destroy the records pertaining to the Hebrews (as slaves). However, some of the plagues would have affected other people in that region (the Nile flowing as red as blood, for instance), yet these cultures don't have anything about this in their history or mythology. Furthermore, to claim that these things were recorded on clay tablets that wouldn't last is patently false. The writings in the tombs of the Pharoahs is older, in many cases, and does indeed document many things that made the 'empire' look bad (typically they would glorify the Pharoah in that particular tomb, while pointing out problems with those who died before he took power).

Whether or not it was ascribed to Moses and the god of the hebrews, an instance of mass child death would have been documented (particularly if those who painted their door with blood were spared).

Now going with the assumption that the Egyptians destroyed the records of the Hebrews and Moses, we still have to take into account the lack of archeological evidence surrounding the tale. There would have been mass graves to bury the legion of dead children, yet none exist.

There has been nothing found to support the exodus of that many people (and yes...if a tribe of that size wandered the deserts for 40 years, there would have been some kind of evidence left behind). On a side note, one of the two men who claimed to find Egyptian chariot wheels in the Red Sea has come forward, and stated very clearly that what they found was actually coral growing on coral; and the pattern it grew in resembled a wagon wheel. People jumped on the claim, and used it to gain fame, when it had no true credibility.

The short version: The bible is hardly a record of anything factual. Sure, it may have the names of certain people right, and it may even list the names of some countries (that existed at the time); but the utter lack of evidence to support its grand claims harms it greatly. If it was "THE TRUTH" as so many claim, the evidence would be there in abundance...and frankly, it's not.

On a side note, if Egypt had been subjected to the punishments that yahweh supposedly put them through, wouldn't they have, logically, abandoned the gods that weren't helping them, and converted to follow yahweh?

The tale exists nowhere except in Hebrew and christian mythology.

Answer 4

Disagreed.

The bible is a collection of writings by various different men, edited many times over by councils and kings for their own needs, and very few verifiable "facts"; I wouldn't judge the bible as a reliable source at all.

Amazing - you point out that writing had "Only" been about for 500 years - ONLY? Amazing how much things can evolve in 100 years, even 30 years - look about, pay attention to them.

There are plenty of other written records - not even as spotty as you claim - from that time period in Egypt. Such feats as parting the Red Sea and the plagues would have made it into not just one writing, but several, from all different levels. Priest castes alone would have written down such events.

Give it a rest- I've not attacked the Moses mythology - in fact, I think The Ten Commandments is one of the best films ever, and it does make an intriguing read. But I don't separate it from other mythology I read - with just as few sources as yours.

Answer 5

And believers were told that Moses wrote the first 5 books of the OT bible that tells about Moses himself and all those events and miracles.
So let's say you read an autobiography of a person, will you be naive enough to believe everything he has written down when you can't find evidences elsewhere?
And if it's not really written by Moses himself, whose actual existence is still questionable, then the authorship is unknown so how can all these be credible?

Answer 6

Um, no...

First off, even if Egypt didn't want to record defeat (which is ridiculous in the first place, but anyway...), there would be some record. There would be songs about dead firstborns, stories from travellers in the area at the time, records of the economy going sour, prayers/writings to THEIR god indicating the issues of that time, etc.

More importantly, there would be archaeological evidence if thousands and thousands of people had ever walked around the same general area for decades.

And there's no such evidence.

Answer 7

the bible may be the ultimate authority to you but to me it's a very old collection of stories repeatedly rewritten by anyone with any purpose who can get their hands on a little ink.
throughout history there have been all kinds of tales of miracles by so many gods and their followers, and i think the stories in the bible are just the same.

incidentally, i don't recall attacking the story about moses. i may have argued the point, but if you think that's an attack what you're doing now is attacking by beliefs.

Answer 8

John, the bible was written by human men who just "said" it was the word of God! A bunch of practically prehistoric goat herders and basket weavers started telling children and grandchildren moralistic fables and after a while, people started to believe it came from God.

Ordinary men, of which there is no verifiable proof of their existence, made claims of impossible miracles and ludicrous events and called it the testament of God. AND MANY BELIEVED THEM! The bible is NOT the word of a God, because if it were, WHY does the god not come and speak to us NOW? Why, if a god exists, does he not show himself like the goat herders claim he did before THEM, and tell us what we need to hear now? Do you not think this is about the most important time in the history of man for a visit from GOD?

Preachers have ALL the excuses in the world!

- Oh, ... uh, God doesn't come to us because he's just "testing" us.

- God HAS come, in fact, he's here right now! Oh! You can't see him? Hmmm ... I can!

- God doesn't HAVE TO come and show himself to us. After all ... he's god!

It's nonsense, John. Why do YOU believe? Because your parents or a preacher or priest told you to? Is that really a good enough reason for you to believe something so important?

It isn't for me.
.

Answer 9

no i do not agree.

because i am not sure about the Egyptians. but the ROMANS recorded everything. and were fairly accurate even when recording the practices of their enemies.

and they have no record of any of the things that happened in the bible durring roman times.

as far as the Egyptians... they recorded a lot. i am sure that if the plagues had happened that they would have recorded something about it. even if they put their own spin on it tried to say that their priest's caused them to show the Jews how powerful they were.

Answer 10

I'm still reading the Mormon Bible after having read the King
James Edition of Holy Bible and an Islamic Koran. I'd only
agree at this point that Israel exists for a reason and it isn't in
any of the aforementioned texts.

Answer 11

Disagree, the egyptians kept immaculate records. The jews were in fact mentioned several times but never as slaves. The plagues were not mentioned because they never happened.