The Truth

[jacknite3000]

Hey folks this is my first posting and i have been blessed to know something that i want to share with everyone, please be kind if you don't agree.

When I first became interested in biblical archeology, I wanted to know the truth, to wash away 2000+ years of mistranslations, unproven assumptions, and traditions to get a more true story of the events in the bible. "Seek and ye shall find" was my guiding light. What i learned , i was in awe.

Exodus:

Sea of Reeds

They crossed the red sea is a mistranslation into Greek, Actual text says They crossed the "Yam Suph". Yam Suph means sea of reeds or reed sea. When it was translated into Greek, reed was mistranslated into red.

Mountain of God. Before Empress Helena determined that mount Sinai, in the Sinai desert was the Mountain of God in the 4th century ad; which thus changed the wording of the bible to mount Sinai the bible called it "Mountain of God"

Read your bible for the true locations. It will tell you it is located in the ancient land of Midian. Midian is in Saudi Arabia.

Hollowed Ground

"Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently." Exo 19:18

The peak of Jabal al Lawz is scorched.

Josephus lived one generation after Philo and would surely be familiar with his writings. Both Philo and Josephus say that Mt. Sinai was "the highest of the mountains". But there are a number of other outstanding things we can learn from Josephus that strongly supports a location of Mt. Sinai in the Midian area and Kadesh Barnea at Petra which is just outside the town of Al Bad. Jebel el Lawz is the highest mountain in the upper two thirds of the country. Also, Philo said Mt. Sinai was located east of the Sinai Peninsula and south of Palestine. Josephus believed Mt. Hor was at Petra.

Josephus believed the Amalekites inhabited what is traditionally called the "Sinai Peninsula" and did not live in Midian:

But when Saul had conquered all these Amalekites that reached from Pelusium of Egypt to the Red Sea, he laid waste all the rest of the enemy's country; but for the nation of the Shechemites, he did not touch them, although they dwelt in the very middle of the country of Midian; for before the battle, Saul had sent to them, and charged them to depart thence, lest they should be partakers of the miseries of the Amalekites; for he had a just occasion for saving them, since they were of the kindred of Raguel, Moses' father-in-law. (Josephus, Antiquities 6.140)

​

Apostle Paul taught that Mt. Sinai was located in Arabia in , where Ishmael lived.

Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
Gal 4:25

1. There is no reason why the burning bush could not be near Midian in Arabia.
2. The Bible does not say that Moses made a long journey away from Midian.
3. The Bible does not say that Moses went into the Sinai Peninsula.
4. If Queen Helena had not chosen Mt. Sinai in 325 AD in a dream, the natural reading of the texts show that Moses was in Midian when at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
5. "When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock." Exodus 2:15-16
6. At Mt Sinai: "Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. " Exodus 3:1
7. After leaving Sinai and back home in Midian: "Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead." Exodus 4:19
8. "Now the Lord said to Aaron, "Go to meet Moses in the wilderness." So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. " Exodus 4:27
9. At Mt Sinai: "Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. " Exodus 18:1 "Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God. " Exodus 18:5 "Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land." Exodus 18:27

If everyone would take the time to truly understand, identify, and define the evidence at hand, one can have better understanding, and receive the truth. Faith is a very strong belief and trust. I have that in god. Understanding the truth of the past does nothing to take away from him, but ads awe to his splendor.

 

[pshun2404]

Sea of Reeds

They crossed the red sea is a mistranslation into Greek, Actual text says They crossed the "Yam Suph". Yam Suph means sea of reeds or reed sea. When it was translated into Greek, reed was mistranslated into red.

This a trick played by early liberal scholars attempting to discredit the Bible...it is not Suph Yam (sea of Reeds) which is much further north and not commensurate with the rest of the geographical description (mountains on both sides trapping them against the sea). The so called "Sea of Reeds" in the north is very shallow all year long...well known and well fished by the Egyptians. This "sea" would have stopped nobody...they probably would have just rode around it and smote the Israelites.

The Yam Suph (lit. Reed Sea) was "the Red Sea" noted first for being lined up and down with tall reeds along its shoreline and secondly being associated with the seasonal blossoming of the red Trichodesmium erythraeum which appear each spring near the water's surface. To look upon this phenomena it appears the water is reddish (thus Red Sea). Thirdly, it is not a mistranslation of the Hebrew, but rather actually a direct translation of the Greek "Erythra Thalassa" which referred to this...we see this inference in the Septuagint.

In His love...

Brother Paul

 

[gideon123]

I have been looking very closely at the Exodus account and the Miracle on the Red Sea.

I agree with the last reader. I believe that it is the translation "Sea of Reeds" that is wrong. I will explain why in a minute. It strikes me that this was an attempt to "downplay" the miracle so people could find it more plausible. After all, if a strong wind blows - then perhaps a swamp can dry up? WELL, perhaps a strong wind CAN dry a swamp. But if it does, the water is completely gone through evaporation. AND if this is true, then the pursuing Egyptian Army would also have crossed the dry ground quite happily. So the "Sea of Reeds" version of the disaster doesn't really hang together. It seems more like an attempt to make events comprehensible to the human mind.

The Bible says that the sea crossing happened at Pi-Hariroth. This was the ancient landing point on the Red Sea for the Pharaohs. It was their dock, their boathouse. It was where they went when they wanted to make a ship journey on the Red Sea. I think that the Egyptians had a very good knowledge of their local area, and they certainly knew what the Red Sea was. People had been fishing there for centuries. So I am skeptical that the Israelites crossed on a swamp - the Egyptian army was not that stupid. You don't lose 600 chariots and 1200-1500 men because you are dumb enough to ride through a swamp!

The idea that Mt Sinai is really in Saudi Arabia is interesting. BUT it also suffers from a number of problems. The Bible indicates that when the Hebrew slaves fled, the Egyptian Army pursued immediately. This seems completely plausible. It is a LONG way from the heartland to Egypt to a point north of the Gulf Of Aquaba. I have trouble believing that the Egyptian charioteers dawdled across long stretches of desert, or that they took so long to catch a bunch of tired slaves. The Hebrews were travelling en masse. It would not take that long for the Egyptians to overtake them.

The most likely interception point - was the northern edge of the Red Sea. Now north of the town of Suez. in those days the sea was larger than today.

I respect the right of other people to put forwards their own theories. I have not proven mine yet. And the quest for the truth should always have an open mind!