V
Vanguard
Guest
So, we have all heard the story of the exodus (or at least saw the Charlton Heston movie). Traditional English translations have the Hebrew as saying "the Red Sea." Even the formal NASB uses the Red Sea translation.
If you look at the story in the Book of Exodus, the English translation has an eastward wind parting the Red Sea, the seabed dries and the Israelites can safely cross. Looking left and right, they can see the water as great walls to either side. Once on the other side, the pillar of fire dies down and the Egyptians give chase. As they attempt to cross, God causes the water to return to normal. The Egyptians drown and Pharoah goes back to Egypt with his tail between his legs.
End of story, right? Not so fast...
There are other scholars, even Jewish and Christian, who don't buy the story and make some pretty valid claims that the area that the Israelites crossed was actually called the "Reed Sea" or if you take a literal Classical Hebrew translation, "the Sea of Reeds." The Reed Sea, which refers to several different areas, is a marshland. People can cross on foot, but chariots could not as they would get bogged down in the muck on the bottom. Hmmm...
So how do you explain the watery walls, the drowning, etc?
Archaeology has yet to find any evidence of ancient Egyptian chariots in the Red Sea. Some people brought up some coral-covered objects a few years back, but there was never any definitive proof that it was chariot parts. Egypt has since outlawed the recovery of anything in its territorial waters.
However, a little known historical fact has been overlooked. In 1882, a British officer stationed on Lake Manzala described what has become known as a "wind setdown," which means a high wind blows across an area of water, exposing the land beneath. It forces the water back for X amount of time. This officer goes on to record seeing natives walking about on the mud, and fishing boats laying on the ground, whereas the day before they were floating on water. This account is not the first time this type of event has happened.
Two researchers, Drews and Han [Univ. of Colorado] have discovered that in part of the Nile Delta, there was an area that this very "wind setdown" event could have happened. The area was once filled with Papyrus reeds, was referred to as the Sea of Reeds (a lagoon called the Lake of Tanis), and they concluded that a 63mph wind blowing east to west for 12 hours, could cause the water to recede and allow the passage over a "land bridge." Once the wind died down, the water would come rushing back in. Interesting...
Opinions?
If you look at the story in the Book of Exodus, the English translation has an eastward wind parting the Red Sea, the seabed dries and the Israelites can safely cross. Looking left and right, they can see the water as great walls to either side. Once on the other side, the pillar of fire dies down and the Egyptians give chase. As they attempt to cross, God causes the water to return to normal. The Egyptians drown and Pharoah goes back to Egypt with his tail between his legs.
End of story, right? Not so fast...
There are other scholars, even Jewish and Christian, who don't buy the story and make some pretty valid claims that the area that the Israelites crossed was actually called the "Reed Sea" or if you take a literal Classical Hebrew translation, "the Sea of Reeds." The Reed Sea, which refers to several different areas, is a marshland. People can cross on foot, but chariots could not as they would get bogged down in the muck on the bottom. Hmmm...
So how do you explain the watery walls, the drowning, etc?
Archaeology has yet to find any evidence of ancient Egyptian chariots in the Red Sea. Some people brought up some coral-covered objects a few years back, but there was never any definitive proof that it was chariot parts. Egypt has since outlawed the recovery of anything in its territorial waters.
However, a little known historical fact has been overlooked. In 1882, a British officer stationed on Lake Manzala described what has become known as a "wind setdown," which means a high wind blows across an area of water, exposing the land beneath. It forces the water back for X amount of time. This officer goes on to record seeing natives walking about on the mud, and fishing boats laying on the ground, whereas the day before they were floating on water. This account is not the first time this type of event has happened.
Two researchers, Drews and Han [Univ. of Colorado] have discovered that in part of the Nile Delta, there was an area that this very "wind setdown" event could have happened. The area was once filled with Papyrus reeds, was referred to as the Sea of Reeds (a lagoon called the Lake of Tanis), and they concluded that a 63mph wind blowing east to west for 12 hours, could cause the water to recede and allow the passage over a "land bridge." Once the wind died down, the water would come rushing back in. Interesting...
Opinions?
