Description
Book SynopsisLooks at how natural phenomena shaped the stories of Exodus, the Sojourn in the Wilderness, and the Israelite conquest of Canaan. This title demonstrates that the Exodus was in fact two separate exoduses both triggered by volcanic eruptions - and provides scientific explanations for the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.
Trade Review"Providing what may be the most coherent correlation yet of ancient Egyptian history, the archeology of both Egypt and Palestine, and the biblical traditions of pre-literate Israel, Sivertsen also thoroughly documents and explains each interdisciplinary facet (including volcanism and tectonics as well as oral transmission in non-literate societies). This outstanding accomplishment should be a source of research direction for years to come."--Publishers Weekly Review Annex, Web Pick of the Week "Reaching the end of this book, all I could think was, 'this is blowing my mind.' Not to be overwrought, but Barbara Sivertsen's The Parting of the Sea rewrites the major story of the Jewish people, that of the Exodus from Egypt. Assembling and interpreting a dizzying amount of scientific material, Sivertsen documents how earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and a tsunami played key roles in establishing Jewish people in the land of Canaan."--Jewish Book World "[I]t is a well researched and at times scientific review of a biblical story... This book, while it does not answer all the questions, does raise theories that can be tested in the future."--Hannah Friedman, Journal of Archaeological Science
Table of ContentsFigures and Tables ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction: The Exodus, Oral Tradition, and Natural History xiii Chapter One: Dating the Exodus 1 Chapter Two: The Coming of the Hyksos 10 Chapter Three: The Minoan Eruption 23 Chapter Four: The Plagues, the Exodus, and Historical Reality 35 Chapter Five: Moses and the Mountain of God 46 Chapter Six: The Sojourn in the Wilderness 68 Chapter Seven: Meanwhile, Back in Civilization 83 Chapter Eight: The Destruction of Jericho 93 Chapter Nine: The Conquest and Settlement of Canaan 102 Chapter Ten: Back to Egypt 120 Chapter Eleven: The Formation of the Exodus Tradition 140 Appendix: Oral Transmission, Memory and Recall, and Oral History 152 Abbreviations 157 Notes 159 Glossary of Geological and Technical Terms 199 Bibliography 205 Index 229
