What is the Proper Date of the Exodus?
In the previous video, we looked at the assumptions held by modern academic scholarship regarding
the date of the events of the Exodus; that they took place in the 13th-Century BC, specifically
during the reign of pharaoh Ramses II (a.k.a. Ramses the Great). We also briefly examined
the methods used by scholars to date pieces of evidence of a given event.
Before we examine the competing theories regarding the date of the Exodus, there is some important
background information that must be understood in order to properly interpret the historical
record, both from the Bible and ancient Egypt.
Ancient Egyptian history is composed of periods called kingdoms. These kingdoms represent
times in Egypt when the nation was untied under a single ruler – a single pharaoh
(or, at least, a single pharaonic house). There are three major kingdoms recognized
by historians: the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. Each of these
kingdoms are separated by what are today referred to as intermediate periods. Intermediate periods
are times in Egypt when the nation was divided between competing rulers. Usually these divisions
occurred across northern and southern boundaries, and they are typically the result of a power
vacuum and economic instability.
The kingdom and intermediate periods are arranged around the rule of particular royal dynasties
in Egypt. The Old Kingdom is the rule of dynasties 3-6. This is the time period of many of Egypt’s
signature monuments, such as the pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. The Middle Kingdom
is the rule of dynasties 11-13. Finally, the New Kingdom is the rule of dynasties 18-20
– the time of King Tut, Ramses the Great and most of what think of as distinctly ancient
Egyptian. The dynasties which ruled during the intermediate periods usually ruled in
overlapping or parallel fashion from different portions of Egyptian territory. (There are
also periods before and after these, referred to specifically as the early dynastic period
and the late period.)
The ancient world did not use absolute systems of dating like we do today. All dating systems
back then were relative, usually to whoever the ruling king or emperor was at the time.
This means that most of the dates preserved in the historical record are specific to ancient
Egypt itself. Scholars are therefore presented with the challenge to accurately construct
a record of Egyptian history, and then to apply that history to an absolute dating scheme.
Scholars’ attempts to do this have resulted in a few competing chronologies, variously
referred to as high, middle and low chronologies, with differences ranging from 5-50 years between
them in the time periods we are concerned with.
I am not in a position to speak on which of these chronological interpretations is most
accurate. In general though, I think it’s permissible to allow a limited amount of flexibility
when we attempt to date a specific event.
The majority of the debate surrounding the date of Exodus concerns the New Kingdom, specifically
dynasties 18 and 19. There is also a minor opinion that suggests the proper time period
of Egyptian history for the Exodus is the Middle Kingdom, not the new New Kingdom. We
will look at each of these interpretations individually.
Before we do so though, we must also consider the data the Bible gives regarding the date
of the Exodus. We will not attempt to interpret this data yet; we will do that when we consider
each interpretation. The only passage of scripture that gives a
specific date for the Exodus is 1 Kings 6:1 which reads:
“Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came
out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month
of Ziv which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.” (1
Kings 6:1)
This verse states that Solomon began constructing the temple in Jerusalem during his fourth
regnal year, which was 480 years after, “…the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt…”
– the time of the Exodus. While this is the only passage that overtly gives a date,
it is not the only passage that needs to be considered.
In Judges 11:26, Jephthah is recorded as saying:
“While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aroer and its villages, and in all
the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, three hundred years, why did you not recover
them within that time?” (Judges 11:26)
According to Jephthah’s testimony, it appears Israel had been living in the promised land
for 300 years at the time he gave this speech. When we attempt to identify the date of the
Exodus, we should be able to bring this time period into consideration.
Within the book of Exodus specifically, verse 1:11 tells us that the Israelites were put
into forced labor in the construction of two store cities: Pithom and Ramses. Though this
does not give a date specifically, it does present two cities we can identify in the
historical record. Presumably, if we locate the time Pithom and Ramses were in existence,
we can extrapolate that time period to the events of the Exodus.
There are plenty of other passages of scripture that we need to bring in to the discussion
in order to properly interpret and harmonize these passages, and we will seek to do so
in the next video when we compare the different dates proposed for the Exodus. However, these
are the core verses upon which each proposal is built.
Please subscribe and click the notification bell so that you will be notified when I release
the upcoming videos in this series. For further reading on this subject, I recommend, “The
Oxford History of Ancient Egypt,” by Ian Shaw and, “The Complete Royal Families of
Ancient Egypt,” by Aidan Dodson and Dyan Hilton. You will find links to each of these
books in the description.