Changes

==Late date of 1290 B.C.==

==Late date of 1290 B.C.==

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''.  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 Hykso, 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.

*''It is improbable that Israel would have entered Egypt before the Hyksos period''.  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 Hykso, 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.

*''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. (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)