Ask a Pastor Column

Q: Did the Exodus happen? Are you aware of the archeological discoveries that proved the contrary?

A:  I am indeed aware of the current tension between the Biblical account of the Exodus and certain archaeological perspectives, although I consider “proved” to be much too strong a word. I’ve heard that archaeology has “proven” the Bible false too many times in my life already. Such as the time when archaeology “proved” there were no domesticated animals at the time of Abraham, or no writing at the time of Moses, or no such nation as the Hittites, or no such person as King Hezekiah. In each of these cases archaeologists have been forced to eat their own words once additional information came to light.

       It is true there are significant difficulties with reconciling the Biblical account of the Exodus with the current understanding of Egyptian and Near-Eastern history. Issues such as the precise date of the Exodus (1446 BC by a straightforward reading of Scripture, 1253 according to secular history), the true location of Mt. Sinai, the site of the Red Sea crossing, and the matching of Egyptian Dynasties to the Biblical Account remain unresolved. However, there is a difference between unanswered questions and a closed case.

We have to remember archaeologists are working with pieces and fragments of history and trying to figure out the whole from the parts. Think of it like pulling puzzle pieces out of the box without looking at the picture. When archaeologists say things like; “There is no evidence that animals like camels were domesticated in the 22nd century BC as the Bible claims,” It’s like saying, “I have concluded there are no horses on this 1,000-piece puzzle because none of the 100 pieces I’ve pulled out of the box have any horses on them.” They are making an educated guess based on what they’ve discovered but more information can lead to the opposite conclusion. While I find archaeology fascinating, I don’t tend to get too stirred up when an archaeologist denies Scripture. As I said, sooner or later evidence tends to turn up refuting arguments from silence and proving the Bible’s trustworthiness.

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