New Book: Did Moses Exist? The Myth Of The Israelite Lawgiver

[Sassafras]

I'm currently reading an outstanding book entitled, Did Moses Exist? The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver

Here's an excerpt:

Moses, the Promised Land and Easter

I really like this book because not only does the author show Moses never existed and the Exodus never happened but, she shows you where all of those biblical concepts actually originated from and it's fascinating.

I wish I would've been taught this stuff when I was much yonger.

[Orbit]

The 10 Commandment tablet story is just a poor man's portable Code of Hammurabi.

[mymistake]

Welcome to the forum, Sassafras.  It looks like a great book.  Sometimes I look back on my old self and laugh at how sill I was believing all that nonsense.  Let us know what else you think.

[Sassafras]

This should help, I found the authors forum for discussion and came across this thread:

 

Evidence for Moses and the Exodus?

 

"...After a century of exhaustive investigation, all respectablearchaeologists have given up hope of recovering any context that wouldmake Abraham, Isaac or Jacob credible ‘historical figures.’... [A]rchaeological investigation of Moses and the Exodus has similarly been discarded as a fruitless pursuit. Indeed, the overwhelming archaeological evidence today of largely indigenous origins for early Israel leaves no room for an exodus from Egypt or a 40-year pilgrimage through the Sinai wilderness. A Moses-like figure may have existed somewhere in the southern Transjordan in the mid-late 13th century B.C., where many scholars think the biblical traditions concerning the god Yahweh arose. But archaeology can do nothing to confirm such a figure as a historical personage, much less prove that he was the founder of the later Israelite religion."

- Did Moses Exist?, page 75, quote from Dr. Dever

 

 

 

"The exodus from Egypt is unknown to history save what is written in the Hebrew Bible. Outside of the most meager of circumstantial evidence we possess nothing to substantiate the text."

- Did Moses Exist?, page 75, quote from Dr. Oblath

 

 

 

"No direct evidence [of] the Israelite sojourn in Egypt and the Exodus can be extracted from archaeology."

- Did Moses Exist?, page 75, quote from Dr. Finkelstein

 

 

 

"...the early date of Pentateuchal sources according to the Documentary Hypothesis is entirely lacking in external corroboration, since archaeological evidence, including an analysis of written finds in Judea and at Elephantine, does not support the existence of any written Pentateuchal materials prior to the third century BCE."

- Did Moses Exist?, page 25, quote from Russell Gmirkin

[Sassafras]

Here's a bit more:

 

Moses, the Promised Land and Easter

Blog: Egyptologists: The Exodus never happened

 

Did Moses Exist?The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver

[mymistake]

I find the invasion of the Sea People very interesting.  Back when I was a Christians I was completely ignorant about that chapter of history because I was convinced that the Bible could serve as a history book.  The Sea People hit many cultures in the East Mediterranean.  The result was always the same except for Egypt.  We can learn a lot about the origins of the Hebrews by studying how other cultures tried to survive after the Sea People invasion.  Is it a surprise that the Hebrews show up in mountain communities and they have reoccurring conflcit with the Philistines?

[BrotherJosh]

Back when I was a Christian (and my family still adamantly believes this) we viewed the Bible as a historical document. It detailed historical events and figures - all backed up by archaeology. My family equates a city mentioned in the Bible and some old ruins as confirming the accounts laid out in the OT. It was quite a shock for me when I first deconverted to learn that much of the OT is wrapped up in myth and legend. Finding out that there is little evidence to support Jewish slavery in Egypt was especially jarring! Still, many Christians, my family included, labor under the idea that archaeology and historians are confirming the Bible with every single discovery and find. They can't cite specific examples or research that confirms this they just have a vague notion that somewhere out there is an Indiana Jones figure unearthing all this evidence that confirms their beliefs. 

[amateur]

Back when I was a Christian (and my family still adamantly believes this) we viewed the Bible as a historical document. It detailed historical events and figures - all backed up by archaeology. My family equates a city mentioned in the Bible and some old ruins as confirming the accounts laid out in the OT. It was quite a shock for me when I first deconverted to learn that much of the OT is wrapped up in myth and legend. Finding out that there is little evidence to support Jewish slavery in Egypt was especially jarring! Still, many Christians, my family included, labor under the idea that archaeology and historians are confirming the Bible with every single discovery and find. They can't cite specific examples or research that confirms this they just have a vague notion that somewhere out there is an Indiana Jones figure unearthing all this evidence that confirms their beliefs. 

That's also something I used to hear fairly often during sermons -- that history and archaeology prove again and again that everything in the bible is true.  They never back that up, just continue talking.  This website in particular, for me, has been an invaluable starting point in learning exactly what is and is NOT known about that time.

 

Thank you, Sassafras, for pointing out another excellent book.