The Jewish Exodus From Ancient Egypt - 2136 Words

I. Introduction I am investigating the Jewish Exodus from ancient Egypt, which reportedly took place around the 13th Century BC. I was raised in a Jewish household, and growing up Passover has always been one of my favorite holidays. I had so much fun searching for the Afikomen, welcoming Elijah to our Seder table, and above all, retelling the story of how the Jews were freed from slavery and escaped the wrath of the Pharaoh thanks to the guidance of God. It’s a magical story which has inspired hope in me for years, and that’s why I was so surprised when I learned that there is little if no physical evidence for the exodus. The archaeological record should have physical evidence of such a major event, perhaps hidden so deeply that we†¦show more content†¦Or the cities where the Jews were enslaved, forced to build a city for the Pharaoh for around 400 years. Surely so much time and activity will leave artifacts which can tell us what happened. Therefore my plan is to survey and excavate in these important sites, and I will also confer with Egyptologists to decipher hieroglyphics. Perhaps the Egyptians of the time recorded clues which can tell us what happened, or at least help us to piece together the story. This research will have an important religious impact as well as tell us a lot about the history of this time period. The modern day Jewish people will appreciate the findings, even if the conclusion is that the famous exodus never really took place. But if it did, then it will shed a lot of light on the events that took place. For example if the Red Sea really did split, then scientists will be forced to hypothesize and debate how this could have been possible. III. Background Research The story of the Exodus as described in the Torah is as follows: In the 13th century B.C. (archaeologists estimate that this is the correct date), the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt and had been for around 400 years. They were desperate for liberation and prayed to their God for a deliverer to rescue them and bring them to the land that God had promised their ancestors (modern-day Israel). Their population became so great that the pharaoh ordered for every newborn Hebrew boy to be fed to the