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Decoding the Exodus - 8/20/2006 7:32:11 PM

anthrosub

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I don't know if anyone else here saw this program tonight on the The History Channel. I almost missed it if it were not for me calling a friend on the phone who told me it was just about to start. It was very compelling.

The program was 2 hours long and detailed the research of archeologists looking for evidence to prove not only that the Exodus took place but also with the help of many scientists from around the world, how to explain the 10 plagues that occurred and the parting of the sea.

I'm sure it will be on again soon so I won't tell what I saw but it was extremely interesting. Very well presented and very fair in the telling of the biblical accounts. This is a bit of a twist on the old science versus religion controversy because here we have something told in the Bible being verified (but with a different but very plausible explanation as to how certain things could have happened).

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RE: Decoding the Exodus - 8/21/2006 1:24:47 AM

meatcleaver

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I remember watching something like this a few years ago but remember that what was written in the bible and the archeological history being out by some hundreds of years.

From what I also recall is that despite the Egyptians being very organised and bureaucratic, there have never been any record or archeological evidence of such a mass slavery. In fact all the evidence is that the workforce that worked on all the great buildings and monuments of Egypt was paid labour and were mainly built by local people outside the agricultural season. In fact these great projects functioned as state investment in infrastructure projects in modern states, driving the economy and sharing out wealth to the people. There are records of Egypt importing grain in a year of bad harvest from southern Europe to pay for the labour force.

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RE: Decoding the Exodus - 8/21/2006 2:41:53 AM

meatcleaver

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Oh I forgot. I am aware of the theory around the Santorini volcanic explosion but being no expert on this era, I have heard scholars that disagree with this theory saying it is trying to make facts and conjecture fit the story rather than facts illustrating the story.

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RE: Decoding the Exodus - 8/21/2006 4:51:54 AM

anthrosub

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I remember that earlier program too and at first thought this one was a rehash of the same material. But it looks like these scientists went back and looked for artifacts from both the Egyptians and the Israeli people that would place them in specific areas described by the Exodus at the right time. They addressed the time line issue between the biblical description and the archeological record as well. I'll have to check if there's any info on the program online to see when the program's research was completed. I felt it was pretty compelling with what they presented. But it's still a theory.

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RE: Decoding the Exodus - 8/21/2006 5:12:03 AM

meatcleaver

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I'd be fascinated to look at any info. As I have said, I don't claim to be an expert and I'm just regurgitating what I've seen and heard.

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RE: Decoding the Exodus - 8/21/2006 3:29:01 PM

anthrosub

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I checked the program...it's brand new and first aired last night. There's a website for it as well:

www.exodusdecoded.com

The program was apparently produced by James Cameron who appears as one of the narrators. The research was done by a scientist who is also an investigative journalist from what I read. From what I saw in the program and read on the website, it appears they've managed to bring a lot more information together.

They resolved the dating issue. Found archeological evidence not only of the Israeli migration into Egypt 200 years earlier but also found artifacts confirming there were Israeli slaves at the time of the Exodus. They found the mummy of the Pharoah who was in power at the time of Moses and that of his first born son who died in the 10th plague. They found the city where the Pharoah lived at the time of his rule. They found artifacts with Egyptian hieroglyphics and pictograms depicting the parting of the sea as well as the location of the sea itself (the Sea of Reeds not the Red Sea which turned out to be a mistake in translation). They believe they've found Mount Sinai based on the Bibles description of where it should be located and what they would find at its summit. They also found what looks like a gold image of the Ark of the Covenant.

They were able to use geography and archeology to detail and find evidence of the natural disaster that gave rise to the 10 plagues and can account for all of them (which was pretty cool). They also showed how the parting of the sea could have occurred as well as Pharoah's army perishing in the waters (a Tsunami) afterwards.

All in all I found it pretty compelling evidence as I mentioned before.

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RE: Decoding the Exodus - 8/21/2006 3:36:39 PM

meatcleaver

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Thanks anthrosub. I'll have to find out when it is on TV on this side of the pond. Hopefully it hasn't been on yet.

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RE: Decoding the Exodus - 8/28/2006 4:17:46 AM

glovedneck

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I saw the program and it's the only reasonable explanation ever presented. My only problem with it was the time factor. The Reed Sea had to have been parted long enough not only for the Hebrews to get through but the Egyptians to get get ALL their forces into the dry area. Since the amount of people involved were many, the sea would have had to have stayed parted for a very long time. I have a problem with that. I don't think it could have according to what they were trying to explain as to the Santorini explosion vis-a-vis a tsunami.

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RE: Decoding the Exodus - 8/28/2006 4:45:46 AM

KenDckey

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I saw it three times and found it plausable. May not have been 100% proved, but it was reasonable.

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RE: Decoding the Exodus - 8/28/2006 8:13:48 AM

pahunkboy

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i seen a portion of it. i t made me wonder.

the show i seen was trying to date when the jews migrated to isreal.

a compelling point was made- what if in the future - they placed ww2 in the 1990s. oh what a difference that would be. ouch.

i have every confidence that in out lifetime alot will be discovered.

what riddles me is this.
"can technology save us?"

the jury is out on that one......

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religion vs. science - 8/28/2006 12:40:11 PM

ThatLilBrat

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Faith doesn't need scientific explantion BUT ...I get a smirk everytime science finds validity in the bible.

on a side note ... I base my D/s theory from the bible.

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RE: religion vs. science - 8/28/2006 2:07:44 PM

MmakeMme

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I'm reading a very interesting book called "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong. It's not pro-Christian (that I can determine at this point in reading) and may be an interesting reference for you.

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RE: religion vs. science - 8/28/2006 2:41:28 PM

IronBear

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There was one program I saw swvweal years ago regarding decoding the Egyptian clay teblets of the period from a court official and their version of the Exodus was markedly different from that of the Old Testiment. They did refer to the Reed Sea rather than the Redf Sea and that they driove the hebrews out of Egypt due to their being malcontents and trouble makers...They also refered to the Tribes of Juda as being vermin and disease ridden nomads who the Egyptians gave a home to to aid their plight. It is always good to have two sides to any story...

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