Israel in Egypt: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus Tradition [Paperback]

The book begins with a critique of currently fashionable scholarship which minimizes the historical relevance of any portions in the Hebrew Bible relating to periods prior to the return from Babylonian exile. The first chapter explains the attractive fallacies in modern historical analysis such as the double standards applied regarding credibility of descriptive scriptural texts in contrast to the reception afforded to the supernatural bombast on official records of egotistical rulers.

Hoffmeier notes that scholarship tends to match the political tenor of the times--and that the current skepticism with authority leads to condescention regarding biblical texts. His brief overview of Joshua's conquest demonstrates that the paucity of late Bronze age dwellings with unambiguous burning does not contradict the accounts in Joshua 6-11.

Hoffmeier devotes the remainder of the book to address the particular intersections of Egypt and the period covered in Pentatuch. The text on the Merneptah stela identifies Israel for the first time as a people rather than a nation--indicating the early settlement period of a nomadic group and not indigenous cultural transformation among Canaanites. His explanation of the reference to Israel in the stela illuminates a distinction between the unpronounced hieroglyphic determinative of pre-monarchial Israel as a people and not as a settled land, hence negating the contention of biblical history being merely an ethnic fantasy concocted by post-exilic priests. The story of the patriarchs being among the many Semites who went to Egypt to procure food has many parallel references in Egyptian literature. Even Joseph's tale of a Semite rising to high rank does not lack precedence: the vizier "`pr-el" was only recently discovered from the late New Kingdom which was better documented than the late Middle Kingdom of the patriarchal period.

Most scholars agree that Semitic peoples lived in Egypt during the New Kingdom, and that forced labor by war prisoners in state corvées was extensive, supporting the Penta-tuch claim that Hebrews were oppressed while they sojourned in Egypt subsequent to their arrival. Identification of the "`barê mishkenôt" or "store cities" (Exod 1:11) had been an obstacle to acceptance of this story. But the discovery of Pi-Ri`amses at Qantir in the Nile Delta verifies extensive brick-construction during the 13th century BC. Central to the Exodus strides the figure of Moses. Hoffmeier explores the origin of the "exposed child" narrative and expounds on Egyptian policy of introducing foreign princes at court in the New Kingdom. Moses could have been a "hrd n k3p" or "Child of the Nursery" and thereby received an education reserved for the elite. The plagues provide a backdrop for skepticism of the J and E source-criticial theory, since the devastation inflicted on Egypt forms a more coherent depiction of events than a composite from separate sources would indicate. Except for the death of the firstborn at the finalé, the plagues register a logical sequence of natural events, albeit more intense than commonplace for the Nile valley. Thus, despite the Israelite interpretation for divine intervention, the tenor of the events described does not stretch credulity to the extent that its historical value should be à priori discarded.

The final chapters concern the canal at the eastern frontier in the New Kingdom and the probable route out of Egypt. The northern coastal road is rejected by contrary citation (Exod 13:17) and because of Egyptian military fortifications which the Israelites would have bypassed to forestall pursuit. Rather, Hoffmeier evaluates the etymology of place-names along the derek hammidbbar or "Way of the Wilderness", and enters the debate that has long surrounded the probable location of the Re(e)d Sea crossing at yam sûp. He suggests that the Gulf of Aqaba extended farther north in ancient times and had been connected to the Bitter Lakes, which were joined to Lake Timsah. Future excavation at the eastern frontier may shed additional light on this matter. That no Egyptian records of the escaped slaves have been found is not surprisingany such reports would have been written on papyrus and not likely to be preserved given the dependence on success for the pharaohs to maintain legitimacy. Hoffmeier summarizes his evidence in a concluding chapter, asserting that to deny the Israelite references while accepting the traditions of other peoples denotes an inconsistency that scholars should eschew. Spiritual overtones were prevalent in many ancient documents, but while Near Eastern pagan deities are no longer worshipped (except among New Age narcissists), the continued adherence to monotheistic theology by many has led to a denigration in modern academia of any ancient records that would lend credence to such faith. Hoffmeier's contribution to the understanding of the Genesis and Exodus sojourn accounts regarding the Israelite tribes' early origins provides a coherent and brief apology for greater acceptance on the historical accuracy of the general outlines in Old Testament narratives. Israel in Egypt is a valuable library addition to anyone interested in early biblical period.

The conclusion of the book is that the Exodus story and surrounding events as told in the Hebrew Bible are compatable with the known historical facts of Egypt. The book isn't a propaganda piece for conservativism, but rather a well researched and scholarly volume. I highly recommend it.