I have heard there are no archeological evidence that the Israelites wondered the desert for many years beside

Question

I have heard there are no archeological evidence that the Israelites wondered the desert for many years besides the Bible. I’m curious to hear what the other side has to say. Does anyone have any evidence that a very large group of people traversed the desert for a very long time – like Exodus explained happened?

Answer 1

I wouldn't expect any evidence.  To find definitive signs of a group of wandering nomads would be a stroke of luck.

Answer 2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exodus

http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn39/ex...

"Another argument that the Exodus never occurred is that there are no signs that the Israelites wandered in the Sinai desert for 40 years. However, we must remember that during the Exodus the Israelites were forced to live nomadic lives. No longer did they reside in villages with sturdy houses and artifacts that could have survived as evidence. Instead, in the wilderness environment every item had to be used to its fullest capacity and then, if possible, recycled. Also, the portable tent encampments during those 40 years would have left few or no traces that could be found 3,400 years later, especially in the shifting desert sands.

Interestingly, recent satellite infrared technology has revealed ancient caravan routes in the Sinai. George Stephen, a satellite-image analyst, discovered evidence in the satellite photographs of ancient tracks made by "a massive number of people" going "from the Nile Delta straight south along the east bank of the Gulf of Suez and around the tip of the Sinai Peninsula." He also saw huge campsites along the route, one that fits the description given in the book of Exodus (Randall Price, The Stones Cry Out, p. 137).

Could this evidence be a coincidence?

If nothing else at least it shows that a large number of people could be sustained in the same region and on the same path as that taken by the Israelites during the Exodus."

Answer 3

The reason that Archaeological evidence hasn't been found is not for the absence constant searching. Such evidence has been seriously sought, by professionals, for over 100 years.

By the same token, Archaeologists have been searching for about the same amount of years for any evidence of Solomon and his supposed empire.

The logical assumption is since such searches are professionally conducted, if evidence actually existed... something would have been found, by now.

This leaves us with the assumption already made by scholars that such tales in the bible were just that, tales.

Now, there were probably reasons for the tales, either to make a point or for purposes of allegory. Remember, the bible is a literary piece and as such deserves some respect; to extend this respect to include accepting the stories as literal is unwarranted in either logic or scholarship.

That's my opinion and I'm stickin to er!

Answer 4

What lasting archeological evidence would you expect nomads to leave?

Other than of course the written record!

Answer 5

not sure what's said on the bible, but the Quran said that they lost their way for 40 years in sinai desert.

i know a geology professor, and he always wondered how come people from the old times, who should know the desert very well, lost 40 years in such a relatively medium desert?

he studied the movement of dunes and sands, he found out that there is a certain pattern, for these dunes that it would take about 40 years to complete.

So, his theory that, these people got lost with the dunes, like in horror movies, wandering in circles till they finished one full cycle of that certain pattern.

Answer 6

There is archeological evidence for an exodus, and occupation of the sinai dessert. In fact a show on the History channel call naked archeaologist frequently airs this show.

Some of the narrators evidence is challenged by the scientific community, but some like Egyptian accounts on hieroglyphics detail much of the exodus. There are also some minoan evidence.

In another episode from that show they look for Mt. Sinai and look at several mountains in the region, several with primative "nomadic culture" religious sites and petrogyphs.

Did it take 40 years...I dont know.....Did it happen like the bible said? I dont know.....did several of the events happen ...yep.

Answer 7

In a book called, "The Baker Pocket Guide to the Bible" by Kevin O'Donnell, it says, "Discoveries at a mountain, Jebel Ideid, in the desert....an ancient gathering place with many standing stones and alters from pre-Israelite days. There is early graffiti showing hunters, but also some intriguing markings that seem to show a rod and serpent, a shape divided into ten panel (Ten Commandments?) and many people with hands raised in prayer.  These are hard to date, but could they be Israelite?"

Answer 8

Nope