One of the most heated debates in the Christian community is the date of the Exodus. It is a topic of interest not only for Christians, but for Jews, Muslims and even agnostics and atheists. The Exodus is the most referenced event in the Old Testament. The reliability of Scripture stands or falls with it.

Some say the Exodus never happened. As a maximalist, I believe it happened. One of the most important questions is: when did the Exodus take place? This debate involves Biblical studies, textual criticism, archaeology, apologetics and much more. It has all the ingredients. That’s why it’s so complex. What maximalists can agree upon is that the Exodus took place, that much we know. Then why does the date of the Exodus matter so much?

I think the main reason is apologetic. I read on a Facebook group the message of a saddened wife. Her husband dropped out of faith because of not seeing reliable evidence for the Exodus. She wrote the following:

My husband just said he is no longer interested in discussing Scripture and says he has had a regression, doesn’t believe any of it anymore because there’s no evidence for the Exodus, that the Bible is just a bunch of stories back written by an ancient culture to change and define their own history. I don’t understand why he puts more trust in the atheists and non-believing scholars than anyone who affirms Scripture. Suggestions for resources are appreciated.

This post shows the apologetical importance of the Exodus date. If we can pinpoint the date, we can pinpoint the Pharaoh (or vice-versa). This way we can look for evidence during that time in Egypt and argue for the reliability of the Old Testament. This would make it easier for skeptics to accept the reliability of the Bible. I consider this to be the main reason.

Secondly, each theory comes with a hermeneutical system that relies more on a specific passage. Which one is correct?

In this series, we will analyze the two main theories from different perspectives. There are others in between, but these two have gained the most traction. I want to point out that I, personally, haven’t been convinced by neither of them. Unlike the man in the post, it doesn’t mean I don’t believe in an actual Exodus from Egypt. I’m still waiting for a theory more convincing than what we have so far. I am actually working on one myself. I have put at least 10 hours a week into this for the past 18 months. In some weeks it’s been as much as 30 hours+. But I’ve had an interest in the topic of chronology and the Exodus for the past 15 years. The fact that I’m not invested in neither theory is an advantage that can keep my head clear as we go through the arguments of both. I’ll try my best not to follow an agenda, a very hard thing for any exegete. I will also start another series on the authorship of the Pentateuch. We will study the most important anachronisms so keep an eye on that series, too.

Here are the main arguments of the two theories.

The key verse for early daters is 1 Kings 6:1 which states that the temple foundation was laid in the 480^th year from the Exodus. The date assigned to Solomon’s 4^th year, when the foundation of the temple was started, is 967/966 BC. This date is accepted by both sides. It’s based on Edwin Thiele’s reconstruction of the Jewish and Israelite chronology starting from the destruction of Jerusalem in 587/586 BC and adding the king’s reigns in synchronism with the Assyrian chronology, the most reliable one we have from that period.

So, based on 1 Kings 6:1, if we add 480 years, the result is 1446 BC. This falls in the 15^th century. This is supported by Jephthah’s estimate of the Israelites being in the country for 300 years at his time (see Judges 11:26). There are other arguments, but these two texts are the core ones. It relies on a literal interpretation of the 480 years in 1 Kings 6.

The late daters rely on Exodus 1:11 where Ramses and Pithom are mentioned as cities built by the Israelites. This view interprets literally the toponym Ramses while the early daters see it anachronistically (see my other series on anachronisms if you want to see what it means). Ramses was built at the beginning of the 19^th dynasty. Therefore, they conclude, the Exodus should be placed during the 19^th dynasty. Based on arguments they find in Egypt, they place the Exodus in Ramses the second’s reign, sometime around regnal year 15. This translates into circa 1265 BC. That is in the 13^th century. Roughly speaking, the two theories have a difference of about 180 years in between them. That’s a lot. They’re placed in different dynasties that have different capitals. We will delve into the arguments of each theory. Please subscribe if you want to follow the coming videos. See you soon on the Bible Exegete.