Seems odd that the Bible never mentions Pryamids? (page 2)

Magwitch

And now we have Ben Carson saying that Joseph built the pyramids to store grain. Hard to believe Moses forgot to mention that tidbit!

Simon

There's no evidence the Hebrews were ever in Egypt at all, let alone having miraculous journeys back to some "promised land".

The Jewish religion was almost certainly based on or influenced by an Egyptian one though.

EndofMysteries

It's only 350 miles from Cairo to Jerusalem. I walked 110 miles through the alps in 7 days, so walking flat terrain a straight shot would only take 3 or 4 weeks at a slow pace.

The countries are literally neighbors so if Egyptians did have slave labor, their next door neighbor wouldn't be a stretch.

Cairo to the red sea is only 84 miles, 3 to 5 days walk. Right on the other side of the Red Sea is Mt Sinai region.

If they could not enter Israel, and were not wandering or in the Egyptian area, then that would have left Jordan. The Wadi Rum Desert or maybe even the ancient city of Petra.

Aside from written evidence and if anything happened as said, at the very least the locations, etc, don't seem far fetched at all.

EndofMysteries

O and supposedly if the jews were enslaved, it would have been prior to the great Pyramids, which would explain why they aren't mentioned.

fulltimestudent

It's only 350 miles from Cairo to Jerusalem. I walked 110 miles through the alps in 7 days, so walking flat terrain a straight shot would only take 3 or 4 weeks at a slow pace.
The countries are literally neighbors so if Egyptians did have slave labor, their next door neighbor wouldn't be a stretch.
Cairo to the red sea is only 84 miles, 3 to 5 days walk. Right on the other side of the Red Sea is Mt Sinai region.
If they could not enter Israel, and were not wandering or in the Egyptian area, then that would have left Jordan. The Wadi Rum Desert or maybe even the ancient city of Petra.

Smile! If Egypt was 3-4 weeks walk for an Isrealite to go to Egypt, then it was only 3-4 weeks (probably less) for Egyptian soldiers to go from Egypt to Palestine. And, if you used a chariot, with fresh horses stationed in strategic locations, it would have been a lot less.

As JWs, we never ever thought to question why it was never mentioned that Palestine/Israel was part of the Egyptian empire for long periods of time. This is the start of the ironical religious problem of the Jews. Except in mythology they seldom controlled their land. There were always bigger, stronger Empires with foreign gods conquering their land.

Its not much good having the true god as your national divinity, if the old bugger is too weak to resist the armies of the foreign non-gods, is it?

EndofMysteries

O and further.....the Israelites if slaves, were building bricks from mud and straw. The Pyramids of Gizah were made from limestone blocks, not bricks.

EndofMysteries

Fulltime - I posted that stuff though because it does make sense on time frame. If they were enslaved and released, then it would take them 3 to 5 days max to walk to the red sea. If Pharoh changed his mind and send an army on chariots, then it would mean it would be 2 or 3 days later and they would have caught up to them at the Red Sea.

Chariots would need roads, if no road to Palestine, as there would not be since supposedly that would be under control of the tough canannites then it wouldn't happen. But there was likely a road to the red sea due to close proximity to Cairo and for bringing in fish, etc.

Also having rechecked, in Ex 1:11 it says they build for them 'supply cities' Pithom and Raamses. Looking up the cities, this is supposedly some ruins of Pithom, which most definitely show bricks made from mud vs the limestone blocks from a quarry on the pyramids. A 10th century Jewish scholar supposedly identified Faiyum as the city of Pithom.

Some things to wonder....whoever wrote it all definitely would have had a good knowledge of those areas and the distances to make it up. And if all of it was made up, how did the Jewish people suddenly one day get duped into the passover and their deliverance from Egypt?

Seems like something had to happen, even if exaggerations. Similar to tell somebody a story and have them pass it down and whether the story is identical after 10 people, etc.

peacefulpete

At one time they also said Joseph built the great pyramid to store grain for 7 years. The 7th Day Adventists (And leading Republican Presidential candidate Ben Carson) still believe that.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ben-carsons-unusual-theory-about-pyramids/

fulltimestudent

If you wish to believe that there's a grain of truth in the exodus story, that's quite OK. I dont want to dissaude you, but if you're just discussing the matter then its probably important to know that most scholarship dismisses the Exodus as a foundation myth.

And if, again, as much scholarship will assert, that these texts were compiled (even if from earlier stories) during the exile in Babylon, and, (again, if) they were written by members of the elite, for the elite then it would not have been difficult for them to talk about real places located between Israel and Egypt. Many of these men would have travelled between Judah and Egyptian, and after the first group of Jews were exiled, some chose to escape to Egypt. So we have no need to believe that at any time the Israelites/Jews lived in isolation. They were very much a part of the Eastern Mediterraean culture, and knew of towns and roads and geographical features between Judah and Egypt.

This wikipedia entry is likely close to the truth as we know it:'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_and_Judaism_in_the_Land_of_Israel

The various national groups of both the bronze and iron ages were interacting. Greek traders (as an example) went up and down the Mediterranean coast and Egyptian ships the other way. Then there were the Phoeniceans who traded all over the Med.sea and the Sea People, both on their own account and as mercenaries. All cited to demonstrate the extent of the interaction just at sea.

I cite that to argue that 'real' things and events woven into a myth doesn't make the myth true.

An editor working on national religious history during the exile, when they had nothing much to do except eat and drink and talk would've had little difficulty in knowing or finding out information that gave an impression of reality,

Somewhere I've posted on the Egyptian Empire and the inclusion of areas which the Israelites later claimed as their homeland - cant find it today. In the meantime you may like to check someone else's work:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/141226/book-exodus-total-b

EndofMysteries

Some other really interesting things, has anybody ever heard of the "Ipuwer Papyrus"? It details plagues, including the river being blood.

The 12th dynasty instead of the 18th dynasty, events and circumstances line up with bible events if it happened. Moses picked up and adopted by the queen who couldn't bear children, Sobekneferu.

They did have slaves around that time know as Asiatics.

The Armarna tablets asking for armies and help from Egypt because the "Habiru" or "Apiru" are conquering the lands.

The magicians who threw down their rods and they became serpents, in the liverpool musuem from the 12th dynasty a cobra magican rod.

Seems odd that the Bible never mentions Pryamids?

Share this