Christians, Jews, and Muslims, what do you think of this?

Question

I was watching a documentary on Moses. A group of scientists were trying to find any evidence that the biblical story of Moses was accurate. At first they couldn't find anything, not even the city where Moses had grown up. Then they realized that a certain branch of the Nile had gotten clogged, traced this branch using satellite pictures, and found an ancient city called "The City of Ramses". In mines nearby they found ancient, primitive Hebrew "Graffiti" scrawled on the walls, and enough stables to hold nearly one hundred chariots. They also figured out that the "Ten Plagues" could have very well been environmental consequences of the cataclysmic explosion of a volcano on Santorini (Which coincided exactly with Moses's lifespan), as such violent eruptions have been known to have bizarre consequences. They also found a mistranslation, the ancient Hebrew texts actually say that Moses crossed the Sea of Reeds, not the Red Sea. (To be continued :\)

This could refer to any of the large lakes on the eastern edge of the Nile delta. They also calculated how long it would take a tsunami from Santorini to reach the Sea of Reeds, and it turned out to be the same amount of time it takes to travel there from the City of Ramses. As we all know, a tsunami causes the water to recede before the tidal wave strikes, and the scientist’s calculations showed that the water would have stayed receded long enough to allow Moses passage across the Sea of Reeds, and then it would have struck his pursuers. They also found another error in the texts when it said that Moses ad his followers camped out at Mt. Sinai. Apparently, they actually camped at some other mountain, where the researchers found the foundations of primitive shelters, the 12-pillared shrine mentioned in the Bible, and carvings in the stone shaped like the tablets with the ten commandments on them.

I find it fascinating that these stories have been recorded with such accuracy. There were only a few errors in translation! I'm not saying whether or not a deity was behind the events, because I honestly have no idea. But I think that their research brings up an interesting point: religious texts are not infallible, because they are written down, translated, and interpreted by human beings, who tend to make mistakes. :)

It was on the discovery channel, I'm not sure about the producers. I can ask the professor who showed it to me, but I won't see him till next week, I might be able to PM it to you. Oh, and Maya, they found the records in the City of Ramses, included Hebrew graffiti in ancient egyptian mind shafts...

Answer 1

Wish I had watched that program. It sounds interesting. And I find it fascinating that after so many thousands of years that any evidence still exists.

I have heard about the mistranslation of the Red Sea, some years ago.

All of this does not detract from the Biblical account. If the plagues were caused by volcanic eruption, then I would guess God used the eruption to his own purposes. Maybe he caused the eruption! We will never know.

Answer 2

Very interesting. I had heard about the whole thing with Mt Sinai, read a book about it, however the rest I was unaware of, so I thank you for the information. Apart from a few mistranslations though the story appears to have occurred much as is stated in the Bible, and although the eruption on Santorini may have been responsible for the plagues and the parting of the sea (whichever it may have been) it still has one wondering how Moses was aware of the timing of such events that he could predict them and make use of them...

Answer 3

Ah, be very careful here. I have heard of these findings before, and all it does is to explain away the miracles God performed as the Bible tells it. They say they may have found out how these things took place, but instead what is really happening is they are taking away (explaining away) God's work.
As for the sea of reeds, this is another old mistake. They were led through the deep. There is reference in one of the Psalms, but I cannot recall where.
The big thrust behind all of these "findings", is to cast doubt on the accuracy and honesty of the Biblical texts.
Many accusations are thus made, but all bring doubt.
Trouble is, a little piece of truth mixed in with a whole lot of error, put together in just a certain way can make the whole appear true.

Answer 4

I have heard all of this before. I feel it only confirms Biblical account even more. Example, the parting of the waters via a Tsunami, who is to say that when Moses parted the sea with his staff that it created the Tsunami at that specific moment, TIMING. I am sure that people in those day did not call it a Tsunami, but it could have been that the Tsunami happened at the command of Moses. Moses described it as parting of the sea based on the language they had then.

Answer 5

Yes, I am very happy for these shows. Eventually I am hoping these shows will end all the misinformation strategies and bring honest accurate information into all the people so all the people know who is lying and who is telling the truth.
Humanity can't grow with out the truth.
Humanity is stagnating slowly - and our morale is getting lower. There hopefully will be a source of truth that saves everyone from the scams and lies.

Answer 6

It isn't a mistake in the Torah. It's a mistake in the translation of it by the Church.

It's always been "yam suf" in the Torah scrolls we use, which means "Sea of Reeds", not Red Sea.

For further information on what you wrote please see Dr. Gerald Schroeder's writings, a Jewish physicist who has come to many of the same conclusions you mention were in the show you saw. Maybe he contributed to it?

Answer 7

Fascinating

Answer 8

The "Reed Sea" is long-known to Jews. I'd be interested in a title, producer and network for the documentary.

Answer 9

yeah, i read about it in a book. and of how the city of ramesses was once called avaris and some egyptian chronicler around there whose name was manetho wrote a report of how "240 000 entire households with their possessions left egypt and traversed the desert to syria."

Answer 10

If this was a documentary on television, there should be something that corresponds on the net. A link, perhaps?

Thanks in advance.