Hi,
… Here’s something I found fascinating.
Two secular Israeli archeologists wrote a book.
This is a summary of what they said.
“In the 13th century B.C.E., Egypt was at the peak of its authority. The dominant world power.
Its border fortifications were extremely heavily guarded.
Putting aside the possibility of Divinely inspired miracles?
One can hardly accept the idea of a large group of slaves fleeing Egypt.”
So they declared the Exodus a myth!
… Does this present a challenge to the Torah and Jewish tradition?
No. It confirms it!
Because what they wrote was not original.
It’s exactly what the Talmud says!
“No slave ever escaped from Egypt. It was so well fortified.”
What about the Exodus?
It was a divinely inspired miracle!
… And putting miracles aside?
Hard to picture large numbers of slaves escaping from Egypt?
It’s no problem.
The Torah never says they did.
… I know what you’re thinking.
“Boy. That break really affected Rabbi Katz!
He’s gotten rusty. Better brush up on his Torah!”
Isn’t that what the Exodus is all about? The Jews escaping from Egypt?
No!
The Exodus is about the Jews being chased out of Egypt!
… We say it every year at the Seder.
“Why do we eat Matzah”?
“The Jews baked the dough into unleavened cakes. It had not risen.
They had been driven out of Egypt. And could not delay!” (Exodus, 12:39)
Why didn’t we have enough time to bake bread?
Because after the ten plagues the Egyptians had enough.
And they chased us out of Egypt! (See Exodus, 12:29-39)
The good news?
Even an archeologist can have his matzah and eat it!
All the best,