Exodus and History

Abstract

Critical scholars agree that the earliest references to the exodus tradition do not come from the exodus narrative in the Pentateuch but other writings, such as the early prophetic books, primarily Amos and Hosea, about the middle of the eighth century BCE. There is nothing in Egyptian texts that could be related to the story in the book of Exodus. The one fairly certain reference to Israel is in the Merenptah stela, dating to his fifth year, the first and only reference until the ninth century. Those who argue for an Israelite exodus in the Late Bronze often ignore the Amarna tablets. No Egyptian document, inscription, or piece of iconography depicts, describes, or refers to an exodus as described in the Bible. The chapter identifies certain geographical sites in the exodus narrative. There is no compelling reason that the exodus has to be rooted in any events in history. Keywords: Amarna tablets; Bible; Egyptian texts; Exodus; Merenptah stela; Pentateuch; prophetic books