Dr Rick

The whole story of the Exodus is very improbable, however, and so is this guy's attempt to rationalize it.

First of all, there's the strange light-emitting stationary cloud formation even though all this wind is blowing about for hours:

Exodus 15:
19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided.

Then there's this stroll across a dry, not just uncovered, seabed:

22...and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left...29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

And finally, 600,000 people wandering around the desert aimlessly for some 40 years would have left some trace of their passage. Archeologists and anthropologists have found evidence of much older and smaller groups of people, and yet even with directed excavations using the OT as a guide, have yet to find one single tool, pot, firepit, fecal-lith, or remain in the area of the Red Sea consistent with the Exodus. There would have been traces of their "bondage" in Ancient Egypt, too, but no such evidence has been found there. Not even the Egyptian scribes who seemed to be relatively good at recording events made any mention of the Hebrew slaves or the loss of the over 600 chariats that were supposed to have been consumed by the Red Sea.

MiddleMan

That would be 600,000 men of military age (see Ex. 12:37; Num. 1-50). Accouting for a similar number of women, and a similar number of children and the elderly combined, you have an actual population figure of roughly 3 million. I haven't read the article yet but did the author(s) account for how much time it would have taken to get this multitude across the sea floor regardless of how the water was parted?

Or, has this author assumed some sort of editorial or copyist's "error" for the supposed population size of Hebrews?

rlogan

Silly MiddleMan!

They used Noah's patented Arc conveyor. You know - the one he got the animals onto the Ark with. It comes with convenient extensions for swamp and parted-water crossings. You see narrower versions at big airports nowadays.

Immaculate Deception

"Heitsi Eibip was a great and celebrated sorcerer among the Namaqua people. He could tell secret things, and prophesy what would happen.

One day, he was traveling with a great number of people, and an enemy pursued them.

They came to some water, and Heitsi Eibip said, "My grandfathers' father, open yourself, so that I may pass through. Then close yourself afterwards."

It happened as he had said, and Heitsi Eibip and his people went through safely.

Then their enemies tried to pass through the opening also, but when they were in the midst of it, it closed on them, and they perished.

Heitsi Eibip died several times, and came to life again.
When the Khoi pass one of his graves, they throw a stone on it for good luck.

Heitsi Eibip could take on many different forms. Sometimes he appeared handsome, very handsome. Or his hair grew long, down to his shoulders; at other times, it was short."

The African Storyteller by Harold Scheub, p.37

The Khoi are from South Africa.

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I thought that perhaps some of you who are interested in parallel myths might be interested in this.

ID

MiddleMan

Considering a Noacian explanation, it's either that or they used juveniles (you see, they take up much smaller space). Or, they simply could have been carried across the Sea as eggs!

MiddleMan

Ah! I see! This guy is operating from a misconception! There were not 600,000 but 3x that number! Therefore, if this math major figured it took 600,000 four hours to cross, then it actually took the Hebrew horde TWELVE hours to cross--at least! Now, was he able to document a sustained (for 12 hours) 67 mile per hour wind in the ancient annals? :banghead:

Amos

Exactly, and all myths are parallel in the same way.

nermal

Ummm....yeah.

But Cindy Brady became a porn star! So there!

Ed

Kosh

Oh yeah, but did he ever appear looking like Charleton Heston?

Amos

Maybe so, but they have been fornicating children of God ever since and that should not be allowed.