For those who are unfamiliar with the debate about the date of the exodus from Egypt, Claude Mariottini has a good article summarizing the issues and some of the arguments. For many, the debate comes down to a date in either the 15th or 13th century BCE. Mariottini’s discussion is occasioned by a forthcoming article by James Hoffmeier.
A lot of the debate that centers on these two dating possibilities is assuming that the exodus narrative in Exodus actually refers historically to one event. If the biblical account is a combination of several “exoduses” (exodi? exodoi? exodim?) that were collapsed in the cultural memory of the Israelites, the question becomes much more complex.
On July 30th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Kevin,
Thanks for making the point expressed in your second paragraph. It is a very important one. If there were several (numerous?) exodus like events, the problem not only becomes more complex, it also becomes much more interesting.
Duane