The Admiral

Well Doug, I don't really know how to answer that but such a tremendous engineering and construction project lasting over a period of several centuries just doesn't seem too qualify for irrelevance. Even though Genesis and Exodus are complete fiction, that doesn't mean that there was not some commercial traffic and cultural exchange between Egypt and Isreal and other nations to the east.

Dave Nelson

Minimalist

A fair question, Dave. By the time the OT was cobbled together, most probably in at least the Hellenistic period if not the Hasmonean ( late 2d century BC) the seat of power in Egypt had shifted to the Nile Delta. The Ptolemies ruled from Alexandria. Pyramid construction had ceased with Ahmose I 1,200 years before. I doubt it was at the forefront of anyone's mind any longer. I suppose they could have mentioned the Lighthouse in Alexandria had they been so inclined.

Duvduv

"Cobbled together"?? Were you one of the "cobblers" there? There is no evidence of cobbling together except the hypotheses of some.

Duvduv

I honestly suggest that you are mistakenly comparing sources 2000 years old providing background to the Torah events with those that came up a mere 150 years ago out of the blue.

The Admiral

Duvduv

I may be mistaken, nothing new there, but what are the events to which you refer that came out of the blue a mere 150 years ago?

Dave Nelson

Duvduv

The "commentaries" of the emerging Mormon church, if that is what you were referring to, "The Pearl of Great Price" etc.

The Admiral

No, that's not what I was referencing. Are you saying that you think I'm wrong in assuming that there was commercial traffic and cultural exchange between Egypt and nations to the East of Egypt?

Dave Nelson

Duvduv

According to secular/humanist apologetics, Judaism was merely the recipient of ideas, theology etc. and had absolutely nothing of its own to contribute to surrounding cultures. It originating absolutely nothing. It's laughable. But yes, the midrashim flesh out a great deal of information.

Roger Pearse

This is a feeble argument. The pyramids are not the most pervasive thing in Egypt by a long way.

A much stronger argument would be: "Since so much of the bible narative occurs in Egypt, why is it that the post-card sellers are not mentioned?"

"Baksheesh!!!"

Actually that's another thing...

All the best,

Roger Pearse

Sheshbazzar

The 2nd century AD Seder Olam Rabbah and Rabbinical sources place the Exodus at 2448 AM (or 1313 BC).
These Midrashic discussions and the resulting commentaries date to a time some 1200 years after the alleged events, and are the product of a people whom had been conquered and exiled repeatedly.
These Rabbinical discussions and 'explanations' are filled with imaginative folk-religion material and creative 'Midrashed' situations that are nowhere to be found within the actual TaNaKa texts.

Just because a 'source' is 2000 years old, it is no indication that source is any accurate accounting of events from 3000+ years ago, or 1200 years in their past.