It is written:
Exodus 3:14-And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “
Skeptics of the Bible have long claimed that the Jews were never slaves in Egypt. However, amazing findings in archaeology are proving otherwise.
For example, the famous Brooklyn Papyrus provides strong evidence of the Hebrews being slaves in Egypt (in full support of what the Bible teaches).
“The Brooklyn Papyrus was acquired by the founder of the Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour, during his winter travels in Egypt during the years 1881-1896. It was first understood in 1938 that this text mentioned “a list of slaves of foreigners.” It was a tiresome work to put all the 500-600 fragments in order and interpret the ancient text, which was done in 1952. The total length of the papyrus is 182 cm. Above, an important section is shown representing a part of the list of foreign slaves in Egypt. The dating, based on information in the text, places the papyrus somewhere from the late 12th to the mid 13th dynasty, which is during the period when the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt. The character of the papyrus is a business document used by Egyptian administrators to keep order in the family structures and duties of the slaves. A typical design of a section with slave names is: “The female Asiatic Siprah.” One list contains 79 slaves, with 33 Egyptians and 45 Asiatics (and one unknown). In total 20 were males, 43 were females and the remaining were children. It is stated that the Asians probably were Semites of Syrian and Palestinian background. The Hebrews were Semites and came from areas of Syria and Palestine. A number, at least 30, of the slaves listed have names that are Semitic/ Hebrew to their character. Shiphrah is one slave name identical to the Hebrew midwife mentioned in Ex. 1: 15. Other Hebrew related names are Dodihu, Hayabilu, Hayimmi, Munahhima, Yasaskir, Aduttu, Ahatu, Dodihuat, Sukrapati, Aser, Aqabtu, Abu, etc. Translation of other names clearly indicate foreigners, as the example “I-am-prayed-for-in-a-foreign-land” (102). It is of great interest to find an Egyptian source from the time of the Hebrews in Egypt, that lists slaves with Hebrew names, in particular one name that is identical to a Hebrew name found in the book of Exodus. This is a strong support to the history of the Hebrews.” (Dr. Lennart Miller, The Exodus Case: New Discoveries Of The Historical Exodus, 2168-2178 (Kindle Edition); Copenhagen NV, Denmark; Scandinavia Publishing House)
It is also interesting to learn how archaeology has confirmed many of the events of the Exodus.
For example, there is significant evidence that the Asiatics in several Egyptian cities left suddenly.
There departure may rightly be termed an Exodus!
Timothy Mahoney, dedicated to finding out the truth regarding the Bible, set out to carefully interview experts on the new archaeological finds being made in Egypt.
Notice what he learned:
“Rohl leaned forward. “All of a sudden, the site is abandoned. These Semitic people who were living there suddenly get up, they pack their bags and they leave, and the whole mound is abandoned. And we don’t know for how long. And it just falls to ruin.” “What do you think was going on here?” He raised his eyebrows. “Well, isn’t that just like the story of Exodus?” It did match the story. This one location mentioned in the biblical text encompassed an arrival, multiplication, slavery, and now the abandonment of its Semitic population. I considered if there could be some other explanation. Perhaps scholars could think of many that were unrelated to the Exodus, but the pattern was striking. 59 II. Another Abandonment: Kahun One day my researcher and writing partner, Steve Law, entered my office with a book. “I got something you should know about,” he said, with about as much excitement as a glass of milk. But that’s just Steve. I have learned over the course of seven years to pay attention when he brings things up. And this was one of those times. “What’s going on?” I asked. “There’s another abandonment that fits the pattern,” said Steve. “You’re kidding. Where?” “About 120 miles to the south of Avaris, at a place called Kahun, which began as a pyramid builders’ compound.” “When was it uncovered?” “Around 1890 by Egyptologist Sir Flinders Petrie, who also discovered the Merneptah Stele. He found a walled and guarded settlement that supported a large Semitic population.” “Really? And no one’s connected any dots?” “Almost no one’s looking in the Middle Kingdom.” The location of Kahun. A reconstruction of the pyramid-builders compound of Kahun. I listened as Steve showed me the book he was reading, The Pyramid Builders of Ancient Egypt, written by Rosalie David, an Egyptologist from the University of Manchester who reported on Petrie’s digs. She stated that the site was conceived and built to a predetermined plan: “It was enclosed by a thick brick wall, designed to confine the workmen and their families in a certain area. It is evident that the sites, all on the desert edge, were chosen because they were near to the worksite, but also because, isolated and surrounded by hills, they could be guarded. . . . It is noteworthy that even the proximity of a good water supply was not considered essential to these town sites, the requirements of isolation and security being greater.” 60 Egyptologist Rosalie David. “This looks like it could have been a slave community,” I said. Steve nodded. “As a matter of fact they found documentation of slavery at the compound there. If you remember, the biblical text states that the children of Israel multiplied so greatly that they spread throughout the land. A group of what the Bible calls an ‘ethnically diverse crowd’ are also said to have left with the Israelites. Many of these were probably Semitic Asiatics as well.” “Could these enslaved Semitic people at Kahun be a part of that story?” “Well, there’s some mystery here. These inhabitants seemed to have disappeared overnight. Like Avaris, the evidence at Kahun points to its abandonment occurring late in the 13th Dynasty, at the very end of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom.” 61 According to Professor David, Kahun’s abandonment was sudden, and their goods were found in the streets and houses of Kahun exactly where they were left, before being buried by the sands of the desert so long ago. She wrote: “Domestic wares, the workmen’s tools, the agricultural equipment, weaving equipment, children’s toys, the make-up and jewelry of the women, and the articles associated with their daily religious observances have all been discovered, lying as they were left, some 4,000 years ago, in the streets and rooms of the houses. . . . The quantity, range and type of articles of everyday use which were left behind in the houses may indeed suggest that the departure was sudden and unpremeditated.” 62 Again, according to the biblical narrative, the children of Israel left in haste after Passover night. The first century Jewish historian Josephus wrote that Moses gathered together all the Israelites before the final night of the plagues. 63 Professor David observed that the town of Kahun “seems to have been deserted by its inhabitants in such a hurry that some kind of disaster may have occurred, though this can hardly be plague, which has been suggested, since no bodies except the baby-burials were found. Whatever happened, the paucity [lack] of cloth is unusual–if sandals and precious needles were left behind, why not unwanted clothes?” 64” (Timothy Mahoney with Steven Law, Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus, 3583-3687 (Kindle Edition); St. Louis Park, MN; Thinking Man Media)
Yet perhaps one of the most amazing discoveries from archaeology has been an ancient Egyptian book known as The Destruction Of Mankind.
“For example, as recently pointed out by archaeological researcher Brad C.Sparks, eminent Egyptologists have found an early Egyptian document from c. 1300 BC, called the Destruction of Mankind. It contains reference to the full Hebrew divine name, I AM THAT I AM, in the Egyptian root word YWY (or Yawi). These Egyptologists specifically cite Exodus 3:14-when the name I AM THAT I AM was revealed to Moses at the Burning Bush.’ Sparks further notes that the Destruction of Mankind tells of a non-Egyptian people who flee from the eastern Nile Delta, the biblical Land of Goshen, only to be pursued by the Egyptian army. Respected Egyptologists have already identified dozens of Egyptian texts with what they call Exodus parallels, describing Exodus-like like events and themes, which Sparks has compiled and which will soon be published.’” (Joseph M. Holden & Norman Geisler, The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible: Discoveries That Confirm the Reliability of Scripture, 2577-2580 (Kindle Edition); Eugene, Oregon; Harvest House Publishers)
The evidence of the authenticity of the Bible continues to mount.
“It is important to realize that archaeological excavations have produced ample evidence to prove unequivocally that the Bible is not a pious forgery. Thus far, no historical statement in the Bible has proven false on the basis of evidence retrieved through archaeologic research.” (Keith N. Schoville, Biblical Archaeology In Focus, 156; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Books)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
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