Changes

The early date of 1446 B.C. places the Exodus under the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep II of the 18th Dynasty, and many scholars contend that this is the correct biblical date.  This has been denied by some scholars citing Exodus 1:11 and other evidences, however, a careful survey of the biblical narrative for the Exodus up until the time of Solomon, in addition to  extra-Biblical evidence, places the Exodus event during the the mid-fifteenth century B.C., rather then more than a century later.

The early date of 1446 B.C. places the Exodus under the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep II of the 18th Dynasty, and many scholars contend that this is the correct biblical date.  This has been denied by some scholars citing Exodus 1:11 and other evidences, however, a careful survey of the biblical narrative for the Exodus up until the time of Solomon, in addition to  extra-Biblical evidence, places the Exodus event during the the mid-fifteenth century B.C., rather then more than a century later.

1st Kings 6:1 states that Solomon began to build the Temple ''"in the 480th year after the children of Israel were come up out of the land of Egypt,"''  which was during the fourth year of his reign, or about 966 B.C.  This agrees with modern archaeologists who established a rough timeframe for Solomon's kingship<ref>Kitchen, Kenneth A. "How we know when Solomon ruled." Biblical Archaeology Review 27.5 (2001): 32.</ref>, making the date of the Exodus to have been about 1446 B.C. This date fits the timeframe as established by the biblical narrative, and chronologists attempting to establish the later date of 1290 B.C. during the reign of Rameses II must thoroughly reject the 1st Kings verse, and by extension reject the chronology of the narrative in Judges 11:26 and the early kingships in Israel as not being able to fit within contemporary history of that time. (Unger, pg. 332)

1st Kings 6:1 states that Solomon began to build the Temple ''"in the 480th year after the children of Israel were come up out of the land of Egypt,"''  which was during the fourth year of his reign, or about 966 B.C.  This agrees with modern archaeologists who established a rough timeframe for Solomon's kingship,<ref>Kitchen, Kenneth A. "How we know when Solomon ruled." Biblical Archaeology Review 27.5 (2001): 32.</ref> making the date of the Exodus to have been about 1446 B.C. This date fits the timeframe as established by the biblical narrative, and chronologists attempting to establish the later date of 1290 B.C. during the reign of Rameses II must thoroughly reject the 1st Kings verse, and by extension reject the chronology of the narrative in Judges 11:26 and the early kingships in Israel as not being able to fit within contemporary history of that time. (Unger, pg. 332)

Contemporary history of Egyptian events also supports the 1446 B.C. date.  The pharaoh who refused to allow the Hebrews to leave most certainly would have been Amenhotep II, who reigned c. 1455-1425 B.C.  He was the son of the empire builder and conqueror Thutmose III, and Amenhotep lived off his father's largesse.  It is also clear from Egyptian inscriptions that the son who succeeded him to the throne, Thutmose IV, was not his first born; this was indicated by the inscription on a slab known as the [[Dream Stele]] at the foot of the Great Sphinx which states that the god Amun would give him the throne if he cleared away the sand from the feet of the Sphinx and restore it:  

Contemporary history of Egyptian events also supports the 1446 B.C. date.  The pharaoh who refused to allow the Hebrews to leave most certainly would have been Amenhotep II, who reigned c. 1455-1425 B.C.  He was the son of the empire builder and conqueror Thutmose III, and Amenhotep lived off his father's largesse.  It is also clear from Egyptian inscriptions that the son who succeeded him to the throne, Thutmose IV, was not his first born; this was indicated by the inscription on a slab known as the [[Dream Stele]] at the foot of the Great Sphinx which states that the god Amun would give him the throne if he cleared away the sand from the feet of the Sphinx and restore it:  

[[Image:Abusimbel.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Ramses II, as portrayed at his Abu Simbel temple, and considered to be the pharaoh of the Exodus according to the late date.]]

[[Image:Abusimbel.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Ramses II, as portrayed at his Abu Simbel temple, and considered to be the pharaoh of the Exodus according to the late date.]]

The late date of 1290 B.C. places the Exodus under the reign of Rameses II of the 19th Dynasty.  This is reasoned by scholars based on the following objections:

The late date of 1290 B.C. places the Exodus under the reign of Rameses II of the 19th Dynasty.  This is reasoned by scholars based on the following objections:

*''It is improbable that Israel would have entered Egypt before the Hyksos period''.  Countering this argument, it is stated that Abraham entered Egypt and moved about the land rather freely, including personal encounters with the pharoah during the Middle Kingdom (Gen. 13:10-12); Joseph also was in Egypt prior to the Hyksos, as indicated by the Genesis narrative containing a strong Egyptian, and not Hyksos, style in the writing.  There is also the fact that the Hebrews, when they settled in Goshen, were segragated from the Egyptians due to the fact that ''"every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians"'' (Gen. 46:34), something which under a Hyksos king would not have happened. (Unger, pg. 333)

*''It is improbable that Israel would have entered Egypt before the Hyksos period''.  Countering this argument, it is stated that Abraham entered Egypt and moved about the land rather freely, including personal encounters with the pharaoh during the Middle Kingdom (Gen. 13:10-12); Joseph also was in Egypt prior to the Hyksos, as indicated by the Genesis narrative containing a strong Egyptian, and not Hyksos, style in the writing.  There is also the fact that the Hebrews, when they settled in Goshen, were segragated from the Egyptians due to the fact that ''"every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians"'' (Gen. 46:34), something which under a Hyksos king would not have happened. (Unger, pg. 333)

*''The Biblical statement of Exodus 1:11 is supposed to place the event at 1290 B.C.'' This verse reads ''"...and they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses"'', possibly indicating the reign of Rameses II during this time.  The fact that the site of the city of Raamses was only called that from 1300 to 100 B.C. is not a settled argument in favor of the earlier date, as the site previously was known as "Zoan-Avaris" where the Israelites had served as slaves years before.  Zoan-Avaris also flourished before the Hyksos were driven out at approximately 1570 B.C., leaving plenty of time for the Hebrew slaves to have built the earlier city after they arrived in c. 1870 B.C. during the time of Joseph (Unger, pg. 333).

*''The Biblical statement of Exodus 1:11 is supposed to place the event at 1290 B.C.'' This verse reads ''"...and they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses"'', possibly indicating the reign of Rameses II during this time.  The fact that the site of the city of Raamses was only called that from 1300 to 100 B.C. is not a settled argument in favor of the earlier date, as the site previously was known as "Zoan-Avaris" where the Israelites had served as slaves years before.  Zoan-Avaris also flourished before the Hyksos were driven out at approximately 1570 B.C., leaving plenty of time for the Hebrew slaves to have built the earlier city after they arrived in c. 1870 B.C. during the time of Joseph (Unger, pg. 333).

*''The earlier date of the Exodus is disputed by evidence from Transjordan, Debir, and Lachish.''  The explorations of archaeologist Nelson Gleck demonstrated a gap in the population of this region between 1900-1300 B.C., which according to Gleck indicated that had the Israelites came up from Egypt during the Exodus, they would not have met the Amorites, Moabites, and Edomites which resisted their journey. However, there is nothing in the ''Exodus'' story demanding more than a simple, farming economy which left behind little to no evidence for the archaeologist, nor is there any evidence found at Lachish and Debir sufficient enough to set aside the ''Exodus'' narrative. (Unger, pp. 333-334)

*''The earlier date of the Exodus is disputed by evidence from Transjordan, Debir, and Lachish.''  The explorations of archaeologist Nelson Gleck demonstrated a gap in the population of this region between 1900-1300 B.C., which according to Gleck indicated that had the Israelites came up from Egypt during the Exodus, they would not have met the Amorites, Moabites, and Edomites which resisted their journey. However, there is nothing in the ''Exodus'' story demanding more than a simple, farming economy which left behind little to no evidence for the archaeologist, nor is there any evidence found at Lachish and Debir sufficient enough to set aside the ''Exodus'' narrative. (Unger, pp. 333-334)

==References==

==References==

*Unger, Merril F. ''Unger's Bible Dictionary'', Moddy Press, Chicago, IL (1966)

*Unger, Merril F. ''Unger's Bible Dictionary'', Moddy Press, Chicago, IL (1966)

*Rohl, David M. ''Pharaohs and Kings'', Crown Publishers, New York, NY (1995), originally published in Great Britain as ''A Test of Time'', Century LTD, London.

*Rohl, David M. ''Pharaohs and Kings'', Crown Publishers, New York, NY (1995), originally published in Great Britain as ''A Test of Time'', Century LTD, London.

*Albright, William F. ''The Old Testament and Modern Study'', Oxford University Press, Oxford, England (1951).

*Albright, William F. ''The Old Testament and Modern Study'', Oxford University Press, Oxford, England (1951).

==Links==

==External links==

*[http://www.terraflex.co.il/ad/egypt/amarnaletters.htm The Amarna Letters]

*[http://www.terraflex.co.il/ad/egypt/amarnaletters.htm The Amarna Letters]

*[http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_date_waltke.html Date of the Conquest, by Bruce K. Waltke]

*[http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_date_waltke.html Date of the Conquest, by Bruce K. Waltke]

*[http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/exodusscptcs.html Did the Exodus Happen? Answering the Skeptics, by Dr. David Lewis]

*[http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/exodusscptcs.html Did the Exodus Happen? Answering the Skeptics, by Dr. David Lewis]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Exodus of Israel, Date of}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Exodus of Israel, Date of}}

[[Category:Bible Chronology]]

[[Category:Bible Chronology]]

[[Category:Egypt]]

[[Category:Egypt]]

[[Category:Ancient History]]

[[Category:Ancient History]]