| "Well," said Professor Barrett, "We have examined the | | | | extremely large campsite nearby. The same analyses |
| scientific, archaeological evidence of an Hebraic, | | | | for the accepted and traditional sites for Mt. Sinai in the |
| Semitic people who lived in Egypt, the Goshen area, in | | | | Sinai peninsula show much smaller trails, and are only a |
| ancient times; also that similar people, centuries later, | | | | few centuries old with few campsites." |
| conquered cities in Canaan; and there is much proof | | | | "And so," the professor looked at each of his students, |
| that the Hebrew Kings: Saul, David and Solomon did | | | | "this has been quite a journey for us this past, |
| exist - therefore, in between, these Hebrews had to | | | | extremely interesting year - very enjoyable, and we all |
| have exited Egypt, somehow and sometime." He | | | | learned quite a lot about ancient peoples and Egypt. |
| paused, "Thus, there seemingly, is solid, corroborative | | | | There would be no surprise to me if the number of |
| evidence of the beginning and end to the Exodus | | | | items which corroborated the Bible narrative by |
| story. Science and knowledge also, in just the past | | | | artifacts and archaeological discoveries - comes close |
| decade, have uncovered hard, artifact and iconoclastic | | | | to a hundred*. Therefore, how about an average of |
| evidence of Egyptian chariot wreckage in the Gulf of | | | | our personal estimates?" The professor paused. |
| Aqaba; also, we see an amazing cleft stone boulder; | | | | "What percentage of all the biblical stories - even what |
| and a Mount Sinai - so many details that validate the | | | | seem to be miracles, anecdotes, or what-have-you - |
| Bible story. What is interesting, as challenges to | | | | do we think have been validated with pretty solid 21st |
| theology, is that we have not come upon any real | | | | century reality? How about a show of hands for 50% |
| conflicts. However, we have no clue about the | | | | or over?" All raised their hands and kept them up; |
| "miracle" food 'manna' by which the Hebrews were | | | | "60% or over?" - the hands remained up. The final |
| supposedly sustained for forty years of roaming the | | | | score was one at 70-80%, four including the professor, |
| desert wilderness; nor do we know if alkaline water | | | | at 80-90%; two, at over 90% - the average 86%. |
| can really be sweetened by the bark or sap from a | | | | "Just think" said Bethe, "if we could come upon some |
| tree." | | | | writings of a Hebrew who lived through that Exodus |
| "Before a final wrap-up -" Lawrence was raising his | | | | period, describing the events - as we have the |
| hand, "- I've run into something that tends to lend | | | | Amarna letter by the widow of Pharaoh, and the |
| scientific credence to the Exodus story in general." He | | | | Ipuwer papyrus scroll, and the Egyptian chroniclers |
| paused, "In his book, 'The Mountain of Moses', Larry | | | | Manetho and Cheremon - and with our 21st century |
| Williams says he hired a scientific research company | | | | verification keeping pace. Now, wouldn't that have |
| to analyze areal photos of the Sinai Peninsula and the | | | | been interesting?" |
| Gulf of Aqaba, taken by a French satellite. The | | | | __ |
| procedure was a military development, now employed | | | | *In fact, 107 separate confirming discoveries are cited |
| in all archaeological research of Earth surfaces - it | | | | herein - each of the following numerous items is given |
| discriminates subtle differences in heat patterns using | | | | only a single count: the total of all the coral-covered |
| special filters on photographic negatives. The analysis | | | | chariot wheels; the total of all the skeletal bones of |
| reported a clear trail, estimated as being thousands of | | | | horses and men; the Ipuwer scroll describing many of |
| years old, going to the seashore, and resuming on the | | | | the Ten Plagues; the Brooklyn Papyrus with about fifty |
| other side of the Gulf of Aqaba. The trail discloses | | | | Semitic names of slaves, Amarna letters containing |
| numerous large campsites, continues parallel to the | | | | many biblical names; stela listing numerous ancient |
| Gulf and then inland to Mt. Jabal Al Laws, with an | | | | Hebrew cities, etc. |