Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site cbdkc1.UUCP Path: utzoo!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!houxm!mhuxt!mhuxr!ulysses!burl!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!ask From: ask@cbdkc1.UUCP (A.S. Kamlet) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: Egyptian records of exodus? Message-ID: <1187@cbdkc1.UUCP> Date: Thu, 24-Oct-85 21:03:52 EDT Article-I.D.: cbdkc1.1187 Posted: Thu Oct 24 21:03:52 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 26-Oct-85 08:48:10 EDT References: <350@drutx.UUCP> Reply-To: ask@cbdkc1.UUCP (A.S. Kamlet) Distribution: na Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus Lines: 36 >>mikei@hammer.UUCP (Michael IsBell) >>Doing some research on the Biblical exile of the Israelites >>in Egypt I find a complete void of Egyptian sources which >>mention the hebrews. > I am not a professional Egyptologist--but am interested in ancient > Egypt and do a lot of reading on it. There is a lot of disagreement > on lots of Egyptian history--but on this one every source I've read > agrees: > > You won't find any such sources. There is no mention of the > Biblical events in any Egyptian source yet found. Nor any mention in > any source of any group who could have been the Hebrew tribes. > > The two obvious conclusions to draw are that, since the Egyptians were > absolute fiends about writing down anything important, it never > happened, or it happened and wasn't important. If we take the > second explanation, then it didn't happen like the Bible says. (Surely the > death of every first born son in Egypt would have been a big news > event!) That is, the Hebrews were slaves who escaped, but the plagues > story was added at a later date to magnify the importance of the > event. That second explanation is the one most scholars go with, > I believe. : I have often heard a third explanation, one which I find much more plausible. The Egyptians suffered a great loss and were loath to have any record of it. This explanation is that any records were intentionally destroyed. There are quite a few gaps in pre-biblical Egyptian history, indicating that other periods of time existed where records were either not taken or were deliberately wiped out. I'm sorry I don't have a good reference to this explanation at my fingertips, but perhaps someone can cite references to this explanation. -- Art Kamlet AT&T Bell Laboratories Columbus {ihnp4 | cbosgd}!cbrma!ask