Abusing the Biblical Text – the Exodus
In the most recent podcast episode of Skeptoid — a podcast which I enjoy immensely and would highly recommend — Brian Dunning takes on the folk myth that Hebrew Slaves built the Egyptian Pyramids. This myth, of course, has no basis in either history or archeology and Dunning does an excellent job of demonstrating this fact.
However, while Dunning is to be commended for his insightful analysis, I was frustrated to hear him go beyond the scope of debunking this folk myth to make sweeping claims about the historicity of the Exodus specifically, and the Bible generally.
So, just to clear a few things up:
- The biblical text makes no claim that Hebrew slaves built the pyramids. In fact, the text makes no mention of pyramids at all.
- There is no direct evidence of a Hebrew exodus from Egypt -especially on the scale described in the Bible. However, there is circumstantial evidence for some type of slave exit from Egypt by people known as the habiru. Many Biblical scholars, including my former professor John Collins, recognize that the habiru may have been the inspiration for the grand mythic Exodus account found in the Bible.
- There is also circumstantial evidence for the historical existence of Moses — although this question is very much disputed.
