NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Exodus Decoded

The Exodus Decoded is a 2006 documentary created by Jewish Canadian filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici, in which new evidence regarding the escape of Hebrew slaves from Egypt is explored. It is partially narrated by film director James Cameron, and also features input by Charles Pellegrino, author of Unearthing Atlantis. Jacobovici suggests that the Exodus took place around 1500 BCE during the reign of pharaoh Ahmose I, and coincided with the eruption of Santorini that most scholars believe ended the Minoan civilization, although this is usually dated to 1623 BCE (+/-30). In the documentary, the plagues that ravaged Egypt in the Bible are explained as having resulted from that volcanic eruption, and a related limnic eruption in the Nile Delta. While much of Jacobovici's archaeological evidence for the Exodus comes from Egypt, a surprising quantity comes from Mycenae, on mainland Greece. For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... Simcha Jacobovici. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a three-time Academy Award winning director, producer and screenwriter. ... Headline text Charles Pellegrino: Charles Pellegrino is a brilliant archeaologist. ... á¸:The article Exodus discusses the events related in the book of the Bible and Torah by the same name. ... (Redirected from 1500 BCE) Centuries: 17th century BC - 16th century BC - 15th century BC Decades: 1550s BC 1540s BC 1530s BC 1520s BC 1510s BC - 1500s BC - 1490s BC 1480s BC 1470s BC 1460s BC 1450s BC Events and Trends Stonehenge built in Wiltshire, England The element Mercury has been... Nebpehtire[4] The Lord of Strength is Re Nomen Ahmose[3] The Moon is Born Horus name Aakheperu[5] Great of Developments[6] Nebty name Tutmesut[5] Perfect of Birth[6] Golden Horus Tjestawy[5] He who Knots Together the Two Lands[6] Consort(s) Ahmose-Nefertari Gods Wife... Santorini (Greek Î£Î±Î½Ï„Î¿ÏÎ¯Î½Î·, IPA: ) is a small, circular group of volcanic islands located in southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km south-east from Greeces mainland. ... Minoan may refer to the following: The Minoan civilization The (undeciphered) Eteocretan language The (undeciphered) Minoan language The script known as Linear A An old name for the Mycenean language before it was deciphered and discovered to be a form of Greek. ... Centuries: 18th century BC - 17th century BC - 16th century BC Decades: 1650s BC 1640s BC 1630s BC 1620s BC 1610s BC - 1600s BC - 1590s BC 1580s BC 1570s BC 1560s BC 1550s BC Events and trends Egypt: End of Fourteenth Dynasty. ... A cow suffocated by gasses from Lake Nyos A limnic eruption, also referred to as a lake overturn or exploding lake, is a rare type of natural disaster in which CO2 suddenly erupts from deep lake water, posing the threat of suffocating wildlife, livestock and humans. ... NASA satellite photograph of the Nile Delta (shown in false colour) The Nile Delta (Arabic:Ø¯Ù„ØªØ§ Ø§Ù„Ù†ÙŠÙ„) is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. ... A clay tablet with writing in Linear B from Mycenae. ...

The documentary made extensive use of computer animation and visual effects made by Gravity visual effects from Toronto. It ran for two hours and was first aired in Canada on April 16, (Easter Day) 2006 (Discovery Channel Canada). Shown in the US on August 20, 2006 (History Channel US), UK on December 23, 2006 (Discovery Channel UK) and Spain on December 25, 2006 (Cuatro). Easter is the most important religious holiday of the Christian liturgical year, observed in March, April, or May to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe occurred after his death by crucifixion in AD 27-33 (see Good Friday). ... Discovery Channel Canada is a Canadian cable specialty television channel devoted to science and nature programming. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic - President George Walker Bush (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... The History Channel is a cable television channel, dedicated to the presentation of historical events and persons, often with frequent observations and explanations by noted historians as well as reenactors and witnesses to events, if possible. ... Discovery Channel UK is a British version of the Discovery Channel. ... The name cuatro can refer to any of several Latin American instruments of the guitar or lute family. ...

1 Egyptian archaeological evidence
2 Previous research
3 Mycenaean archaeological evidence
4 Scientific conjectures
5 Theology
6 Criticism
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

Egyptian archaeological evidence

The Hyksos Expulsion, contemporaneous Egyptian records of the departure of the mysterious Semitic Hyksos people. Jacobovici suggests that the Hyksos and the Hebrews were one and the same, a thesis he supports with Egyptian-style signet rings uncovered in the Hyksos capital of Avaris (30°47'14.71"N, 31°49'16.92"E) that read "Yakov/Yakub ," (from Yaqub-her) similar to the Hebrew name of the Biblical patriarch Jacob (Ya'aqov).

The Ahmose stele, a stone tablet unearthed in Karnak by Henri Chevalier at an unknown exact date over 100 years ago.^[1]In it, a god incurs one of the same plagues described in the Biblical account (darkness, also described as "a great storm"). The Exodus Decoded official website quotes the stele, "How much greater is this the impressive manifestation of the great God, than the plans of the gods!" This translation was, however, based on a note taken by Chevalier when the stele was found, in the early stages of hieroglyphic translation. They also state that they saw, on a copy of the stele, a section that refers to "parting water". This was shown, however, to be pronounced "mee", an alternate spelling of an ancient word for wine.^[2]

Ahmose I. Jacobovici suggests that the name of the Pharaoh at the time of the Exodus may have been a pun(paronomasia). Jacobovici states that in Hebrew, the Egyptian name Ahmose would mean "Brother of Moses." The documentary also examines the mummy of Ahmose's son, Sapair, who appears to have died at the age of twelve. In the Bible, the pharaoh loses a son to the Plague of the Firstborn, although Jewish tradition says that the son of Pharaoh survived.

Serabit el-Khadim turquoise mine, a labor camp in the Sinai with a Semitic alphabetic inscription that reads "O El, save me from these mines." The use of "El" suggests that it was written before the revelation at Sinai, supporting the thesis that Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt, although this inscription was undated. It has been noted, however, that Hebrews were never used in the mines, and that the labor force was solely Egyptian.^[3]

The Hyksos (Egyptian heqa khasewet, foreign rulers; Greek , ) were an Asiatic, likely Semitic people who invaded the eastern Nile Delta, initiating the Second Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt. ... The Hyksos (Egyptian heqa khasewet, foreign rulers; Greek , ) were an Asiatic, likely Semitic people who invaded the eastern Nile Delta, initiating the Second Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt. ... Jacob Wrestling with the Angel â€“ Gustave DorÃ©, 1855 Jacob or Yaakov, (Hebrew: ×™Ö·×¢Ö²×§Ö¹×‘, Standard Tiberian ; Arabic: ÙŠØ¹Ù‚ÙˆØ¨, ; holds the heel), also known as Israel (Hebrew: ×™Ö´×©Ö°×‚×¨Ö¸×Öµ×œ, Standard Tiberian ; Arabic: Ø§Ø³Ø±Ø§Ø¦ÙŠÙ„, ; Struggled with God), is the third Biblical patriarch. ... The Tempest Stele was erected by Ahmose I early in the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt, circa 1550 BCE. The stele describes great storms striking Egypt during this time. ... Map of Karnak, showing major temple complexes Interior of Temple First pylon of precinct of Amun viewed from the west Al-Karnak (Arabic Ø§Ù„ÙƒØ±Ù†Ùƒ, in Ancient Egypt was named Ipet Sut, the most venerated place) is a small village in Egypt, located on the banks of the River Nile some 2. ... Nebpehtire[4] The Lord of Strength is Re Nomen Ahmose[3] The Moon is Born Horus name Aakheperu[5] Great of Developments[6] Nebty name Tutmesut[5] Perfect of Birth[6] Golden Horus Tjestawy[5] He who Knots Together the Two Lands[6] Consort(s) Ahmose-Nefertari Gods Wife... A pun (also known as paronomasia) is a deliberate confusion of similar-sounding words or phrases for comic or serious effect. ... The Plagues of Egypt (Hebrew: ×ž×›×•×ª ×ž×¦×¨×™×, Makot Mitzrayim), the Biblical Plagues or the Ten Plagues (×¢×©×¨ ×”×ž×›×•×ª, Eser Ha-Makot) are the ten calamities inflicted upon Egypt by God in the Biblical story recounted the book of Exodus, chapters 7 - 12, in order to convince Pharaoh (possibly Ramesses II, making the pharaoh of... Serabit el-Khadim (Arabic, also transliterated Serabit al-Khadim, Serabit el-Khadem) is a locality in the south-west Sinai Peninsula where turquoise was mined extensively in antiquity, mainly by the ancient Egyptians. ... Ä’l (××œ) is a Northwest Semitic word and name translated into English as either god or God or left untranslated as El, depending on the context. ...

Previous research

Jewish historian Flavius Josephus suggested in his work Contra Apion that the Hyksos were, in fact, the ancient Hebrews. His theories, however, are known to be based on false etymologies (which were, in fact, the basis of this claim), and he was also known to give much credit to his ancestors. Also, this identification was just used as a response to the anti-Semitic Exodus claim by Manetho.

This is a similar theory to that first expounded in the international best-seller Act of God written by British historian Graham Phillips. This ground-breaking book was published in 1998.

Much of this thesis has already been researched and published by Ralph Ellis. His work in this field is called Tempest & Exodus, which was first published in 2000. Ralph also links the Hyksos with the Israelite Exodus, and suggested that the Ahmose stele not only contains an account of the Exodus, but also has biblical 'quotes' engraved upon it.

Josephus, also known as Flavius Josephus (c. ... Against Apion was a work written by Flavius Josephus as a defense of Judaism as a classical religion and philosophy, stressing its antiquity against the relatively more recent traditions of the Greeks. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Manetho, also known as Manethon of Sebennytos, was an Egyptian historian and priest from Sebennytos who lived during the Ptolematic era, circa 3rd century BC. Manetho recorded Aegyptiaca (History of Egypt). ... Ralph Ellis is a British historical researcher who has written a number of books on revisionary theology. ...

Mycenaean archaeological evidence

Gravestones. Three of the stones marking the wealthy tombs of Grave Circle A in Mycenae, Jacobovici states, appear to depict the parting of the Sea of Reeds. A man on a chariot (who Jacobovici incautiously identifies as Ahmose I) is shown in pursuit of a man on foot (who he again identifies as Moses) who is holding what archaeologists have commonly referred to as a spear or sword, but which Jacobovici believes is Moses' miraculous staff. Above and below the scene are rows of swirls which, in the Exodus interpretation, represent water, although they are a very common Greek design with no relation to water. The common suggestion is that this scene depicts a chariot race, not a chase.

A Gold ornament excavated from one of the tombs in the Grave Circle is believed by Jacobovici to show the Ark of the Covenant against a background of the tabernacle altar. However, when you compare the photo of the gold ornament to the Biblical story of God telling Moses how to build the Ark, the descriptions differ in several ways. Jacobovici suggests that members of the Tribe of Dan may have emigrated to Mycenae after the Exodus. This, the documentary suggests, is why Homer refers to the buried at Mycenae as "Danaoi." The Greek myth states, however, that the Danaoi were descended from the Argosites under the matriarch Danae.

The Sea of Reeds is the body of water which the Hebrews crossed in the Book of Exodus while fleeing the Egyptians. ... A late 19th-century artists conception of the Ark of the Covenant, employing a Renaissance cassone for the Ark and cherubim as latter-day Christian angels The Ark of the Covenant (××¨×•×Ÿ ×”×‘×¨×™×ª in Hebrew: aron habrit) is described in the Hebrew Bible as a sacred container, wherein rested the stone... Tribe of Dan was also a band from the mid 1990s. ... Homer (Greek: , ) was an early Greek poet and aoidos (rhapsode) traditionally credited with the composition of the Iliad and the Odyssey. ... Coordinates 37Â°37â€² N 22Â°43â€² E Country Greece Periphery Peloponnese Prefecture Argolis Province Argos Population 29,505 Area 5. ... Danae by Gustav Klimt, 1907. ...

Scientific conjectures

Jacobovici suggests that the Biblical Exodus took place shortly after the eruption of Thera (now known as Santorini), which is thought to have happened some time between 1650 BCE and 1600 BCE. The dates are disputed, depending on whether you prefer to use archaeological dating results (1600 BCE to 1550 BCE), or radiocarbon dating results (1650 BCE to 1600 BCE). Jacobovici accepts a date around 1500 BCE. He goes on to explain how each of the Mosaic plagues, and even the parting of the Sea of Reeds, could be explained by earthquakes, faulting and a limnic disaster all caused by Santorini. Satellite image of Thera The devastating volcanic eruption of Thera in the Bronze Age (dated to ca. ... Santorini (Greek Î£Î±Î½Ï„Î¿ÏÎ¯Î½Î·, IPA: ) is a small, circular group of volcanic islands located in southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km south-east from Greeces mainland. ... Mosaic is the art of decoration with small pieces of colored glass, stone or other material. ... The Sea of Reeds is the body of water which the Hebrews crossed in the Book of Exodus while fleeing the Egyptians. ... Global earthquake epicenters, 1963–1998. ... Geologic faults, fault lines or simply faults are planar rock fractures, which show evidence of relative movement. ... A cow suffocated by gasses from Lake Nyos A limnic eruption, also referred to as a lake overturn or exploding lake, is a rare type of natural disaster in which CO2 suddenly erupts from deep lake water, posing the threat of suffocating wildlife, livestock and humans. ...

One possible scientific conjecture of the past has referred to a spot on the western end of a now-dried lake where it has been observed in the past to turn to a sandbar and facilitate foot travel when a low tide and a strong eastern wind coincide. Jacobovici refers to the possibility of the bed of the reed-filled lake rising out of the water due to geological movements, leaving the water on the sides and below the bed. The text of the story of Exodus 14:21-22 states that there were literal walls of water on either side, making this explanation incomplete. "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left." Jacobovici's theories intend to provide some plausible basis for stories later embellished, thus a paucity of evidence for physical impossibilities like "walls of water" does not injure his hypothesis, although, interestingly, it would conflict with Jacobvici's beliefs, as he states the Torah is flawless..^{[citation needed]}

His scientific theories are under much criticism. On the History Channel discussion board, it has also been noted by a person claiming to be a geologist that the calcite deposits-theory is purely impossible.^[4] The History Channel is a cable television channel, dedicated to the presentation of historical events and persons, often with frequent observations and explanations by noted historians as well as reenactors and witnesses to events, if possible. ... Doubly refracting Calcite from Iceberg claim, Dixon, New Mexico. ...

Theology

The documentary notes that most historians consider the Exodus a "fairy tale," while others reject scientific explanations that are not explicitly miraculous. Jacobovici reminds that God, according to the Judeo-Christian description, can control nature, having an intimate understanding of it. His miracles may therefore be efficient and exploit natural cycles and logic.

The documentary ends with a voiceover saying, in effect, "Was the Exodus just a natural event or was it the Hand of God? We'll leave that for the viewer to decide."

Criticism

Detailed criticism of Jacobovici's assertions can be found on the Web site of the Biblical Archaeology Society. The site, for example, includes a review of The Exodus Decoded by Dr. Ronald Hendel, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.^[5] As Dr. Hendel writes in his review, "The made-for-TV documentary, The Exodus Decoded, begins with some excellent special effects and a short excerpt from the Steven Spielberg-George Lucas thriller, Raiders of the Lost Ark. This introduction sets the stage for a fast-paced show with high production values and dramatic footage. Unfortunately, unlike the Indiana Jones movie, this film presents itself as non-fiction. Watching it is reminiscent of an expensive infomercial, in which the actor-salesman makes increasingly exaggerated claims for his product—it makes you lose weight, adds muscle, and makes you rich to boot. In this case, the actor-director is selling a highly dubious bundle of theories about the historical and scientific veracity of the Biblical Exodus" [emphasis added]. Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Steven Allan Spielberg KBE (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director and producer. ... George Walton Lucas, Jr. ... Raiders of the Lost Ark, also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, is a 1981 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas and starring Harrison Ford. ... Dr. Henry Indiana Jones, Jr. ...

References

^ http://boards.historychannel.com/thread.jspa?threadID=800013531&tstart=0&mod=1156859232351
^ http://boards.historychannel.com/forum.jspa?forumID=800000048
^ http://boards.historychannel.com/thread.jspa?threadID=800013655&tstart=0&mod=1156914779686
^ http://boards.historychannel.com/thread.jspa?threadID=800013531&tstart=0&mod=1156859232351
^ http://jewishstudies.berkeley.edu/faculty.html#hendel

External links

The Exodus Decoded Official Website
The Exodus Decoded at Higgaion - 16-part scene-by-scene review
The Official Graham Phillips Website - Act of God

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Television documentaries

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