The Absurdity of the Exodus
2001

In this brief article I will not address the total lack of corroborating evidence for the presence of the Jews in Egypt (that is done here). Instead, I will point out how stupidly unbelievable the claims of this biblical story are.

“And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. Even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” (Ex. xii, 37, 38, 41)

“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night. . . . And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground. . . . Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians.” (Ex. xiv, 21, 22, 30)

The bible author would have us believe that the escape of the Israelites from Egypt took place in an incredibly brief span of time. It was after midnight when Moses was ordered to notify his people to depart. Before morning they were all en route from Rameses to the Red Sea, which they reached in three days and crossed in a few hours. We are told that there were 600,000 men. If that were true (and it isn't) it would be completely conceivable to estimate that the total number of persons-- men, women and children-- to have been approximately 3,000,000.

It's easy to say three million, and it's easy to write. But whoever wrote this story had no idea what three million people actually would look like. Neither do all those who accept this story as history. They apparently think that three million people-- old and young; women and children; the sick and the lame, together with their flocks and herds, their household effects and provisions-- could be moved with the ease and speed of a few hundred men.

When Napoleon crossed the Nieman River in 1812, it took his army of trained soldiers, accustomed to rapid marches, three days and nights to cross the river in close file on three bridges. If his army had been as large as this host of Israelites, allowing the necessary time for rest, would have taken them six months to cross the river on one bridge

Similarly, in the Civil War, Union engineers spent 8 hours constructing a pontoon bridge across the James River. This bridge was wide enough for 12 men to walk abreast. It took the Army of the Potomac four days to cross over it. These were men traveling light, accustomed to marching 30 miles per day. These were not old men and women, bent with age. These were not women carrying babies in their arms. And these were not men carting all their worldly possessions with them-- not to mention flocks, herds and "very much cattle".

It would have required months to notify, assemble, and organize this vast population of the Israelites in preparation for their migration. There would have been a need for a large encampment-- a temporary settlement-- on the near side of the Red Sea where the Jews would wait for their time to cross, and on the far side as well, where they would wait for those who had not yet crossed. And when the journey began, if the head of the column had begun to cross in the spring, the rear of the column would not have been able to move before autumn.

The parting of the Red Sea is absurd enough of a claim. But the crossing of it by such a large host in so short a time is equally absurd, and renders the story totally unbelievable.