Did the exodus happen as the bible describes it?

By Gene X. Christian

Recently I was given some a task to take a look at information regarding archaeological finds of the bible. I’m always interested in hearing evidence for god(s), but I’m often given pretty weak arguments. There is evidence and compelling evidence, bad evidence, and good.

A critical mind doesn’t shy away from taking a look, and I thank the believer who shared these with me. Presenting archaeological evidence is a far more worthy endeavor than “I had a personal experience.” Archaeology is based on facts, research, study, and science. But a personal experience can have numerous naturalistic explanations; I can’t take that one seriously.

The Exodus

Summary: The Israelites, slaves of the pharaoh in Egypt, receive divine intervention from YWHW, who uses Moses to lead the people out of Egypt to freedom.

Claim of Evidence: Is there any evidence of the exodus?

Back in my believer days, I frequently went to GotQuestions.org when I had a question that I needed some insight on. It’s been around awhile, so I know it’s not some fly-by-night operation.

Before I begin, I have to address one point the author makes right off the bat: “Of course, insisting that evidence must be found outside the Bible is, itself, an unfair bias. Scripture is part of ancient written records, whether skeptics appreciate it or not. For those not committed to rejecting such things out of hand, archaeological evidence favors a real, historical exodus of Israel from Egypt.”

I find it convenient to say “insisting that evidence must be found outside the Bible is, itself, an unfair bias.” I absolutely agree that the bible is a written record, I just don’t see evidence that it is historically accurate. But unfair bias? So … your god can’t overcome scrutiny outside of its own text?

In the linked article, it lists a few things that are evidence that the exodus actually happened. Unfortunately, there are no links to extra biblical sources of the claims made in the article, only mentions of bible verses of the exodus story.

What does archaeology tell us when cross-referenced with the biblical story of the exodus?

In Numbers 1:46 the number of those wandering around the desert after leaving Egypt was 603,550. That’s not a complete number, because it doesn’t include males younger than age 20, nor women and children. That would put the number much higher, “which would work out to a total population of some 2.5-3 million. There is simply no way that the Sinai Desert, then or now, could have supported more than a very few thousand nomads.” - Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From? By William G. Dever, pages 18-19.

In my house I have a shadowbox of Native American arrowheads from when my dad and I used to go “arrowhead hunting” when I was a kid. It wouldn’t be hard to say that if there were that many people in a mass exodus, there would definitely have been an overwhelming amount of artifacts left to be discovered.

In addition, the text says that the Israelites had been in Egypt for 430 years, or as I like to think of it almost twice as long as America has been a country. There should be abundant physical evidence. Of course, the apologetics answer is to say “The archaeological record isn’t complete,” but this is having the cake and eating it as well. You can’t say there is ample archaeological evidence to prove the historicity of the exodus, and then say that the record is incomplete.

Then there’s the journey itself. The distance from Egypt to Israel through the desert of the Sinai desert should have taken no longer than 90 days, not 40 years through mostly desert terrain.

So, what do the pros think?

“The conclusion — that the Exodus did not happen at the time and in the manner described in the Bible — seems irrefutable when we examine the evidence at specific sites where the children of Israel were said to have camped for extended periods during their wandering in the desert (Numbers 33) and where some archaeological indication—if present—would almost certainly be found.

“According to the biblical narrative, the children of Israel camped at Kadesh-barnea for thirty eight of the forty years of the wanderings. The general location of this place is clear from the description of the southern border of the land of Israel in Numbers 34. It has been identified by archaeologists with the large and well-watered oasis of Ein el-Qudeirat in eastern Sinai, on the border between modern Israel and Egypt.

“The name Kadesh was probably preserved over the centuries in the name of a nearby smaller spring called Ein Qadis. A small mound with the remains of a Late Iron Age fort stands at the center of this oasis. Yet repeated excavations and surveys throughout the entire area have not provided even the slightest evidence for activity in the Late Bronze Age, not even a single sherd left by a tiny fleeing band of frightened refugees.

“Ezion-geber is another place reported to be a camping place of the children of Israel. Its mention in other places in the Bible as a later port town on the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba has led to its identification by archaeologists at a mound located on the modern border between Israel and Jordan, halfway between the towns of Eilat and Aqaba.

“Excavations here in the years 1938-1940 revealed impressive Late Iron Age remains, but no trace whatsoever of Late Bronze occupation. From the long list of encampments in the wilderness, Kadesh-barnea and Ezion-geber are the only ones that can safely be identified, yet they revealed no trace of the wandering Israelites. The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman, page 63.

Conclusion

My original question was asking about compelling evidence for the existence of god(s), which was modified to include compelling evidence for the historicity of the biblical exodus event.

After examining the evidence presented to me, I see nothing that makes me go, “Holy shit. This changes everything.” There simply isn’t good evidence, and there is quite a bit of evidence to suggest the opposite: the exodus of the bible did not happen as it was written.

Additional reading:

• Is The Exodus a Myth? by Bart Ehrman
• Why the Bible Began by Jacob L. Wright
• How Reliable Is Exodus? By Alan R. Millard

Published on 2025-02-27

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