# studing the Exodus **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2010, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912 "2010-06-29T11:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/1 "2010-06-29T11:12:06Z")
Last evening I was watching a show called the Exodus, The people involved were trying to show how the waters could have parted, I missed the last part of the show, but they had some huge fans that blew water over a mound in the water; they showed that the winds of a 100 miles per hour could have blown the waters apart, so that the hundreds of people could cross. I was wondering how the people could walk through 100 miles per hour winds,due to the fact that some were small children, and not all were heavy people. Then supposedly when the Israealites got across the winds stopped and drowned the Egyptians. The Bible states that the Pharoh and all his soldiers were drowned. Yet no Pharoh was known in history to have drowned. I wonder if some one who knows a lot more than me could explain how the people could walk against the 100 mile per hour winds and not be blown away? Sorry, I left the y out in studying in the title ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/2 "2010-06-29T11:48:16Z")
Huh. Most of the apologists now infer a sea that dried up fairly frequently. Perhaps because they noticed the same problem you did. If I had to guess, I’d say they were implying that the winds somehow were localized, blowing the water off course a bit away from where the Israelites actually were. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/3 "2010-06-29T12:48:31Z")
Wouldn’t there be a lot of seafloor muck to walk through once the water was removed? And how wide is that sea where they were supposed to have crossed it? ---
**Author:** ![Negative\_Lite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Negative\_Lite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Negative_Lite)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/4 "2010-06-29T12:48:48Z")
FWIW, here’s a somewhat entertaining [video](http://blog.oregonlive.com/nwheadlines/2010/01/video_kgw_reporter_blown_over.html)of some people trying to stand up in 100 mph winds. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/5 "2010-06-29T13:11:16Z")
> [@Negative\_Lite](#): > > FWIW, here’s a somewhat entertaining [video](http://blog.oregonlive.com/nwheadlines/2010/01/video_kgw_reporter_blown_over.html)of some people trying to stand up in 100 mph winds. you are right =) and she really should have braided her hair to keep it out of her face, the cute little bandeau just doesn’t cut it. I was expecting it to slide down over her face totally blocking her view more than once. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/6 "2010-06-29T14:07:40Z")
Just goes to show that trying to resolve Biblical miracles in a naturalistic manner is generally futile. Classical Jewish sources (Talmud and Midrash) actually say that a) Part of the miracle was that the sea bed was completely dry, and b) Pharaoh himself did not drown at the sea, only his army ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/7 "2010-06-29T14:36:12Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Just goes to show that trying to resolve Biblical miracles in a naturalistic manner is generally futile. I’ve never understood why people still try to do it. I mean, what part of “omnipotent” don’t they get? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/8 "2010-06-29T15:54:19Z")
I was bored last night, and ended up watching part of that show, and all of the next one, which was about Sodom and Gomorah. The earlier show was laughable, as they used those everglades “fan boats” to clear about 2" of water from a tiny inlet. Then they showed the water “rushing” back in after they turned the fans off. It was a tiny seepage. Them, in the later show, when they re-enacted Lot and family entering the city of Sodom, the vendors were selling ears of corn. I mean big, unshucked ears of corn with the silk hanging out. I guess that proves aLost Tribe of Israel did make it to the Americas; and back! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/9 "2010-06-29T16:01:40Z")
> [@monavis](#): > > The Bible states that the Pharoh and all his soldiers were drowned. Yet no Pharoh was known in history to have drowned. It is unclear [in the bible whether Pharoah was drowned](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2014:23-28&version=NIV): > [@](#): > > **23** The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. **24** During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. **25** He made the wheels of their chariots come off [[b](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+14&version=NIV#fen-NIV-1915b)] so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.” > > **26** Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” **27** Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward [[c](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+14&version=NIV#fen-NIV-1917c)] it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. **28** The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. It says all the horses and chariots and horsemen of Pharoah followed the Israelites; but it never specifically says Pharoah was drowned. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/10 "2010-06-29T16:04:33Z")
… and, as **cmkeller** pointed out, Jewish tradition is that Pharaoh didn’t drown. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/11 "2010-06-29T16:12:05Z")
I won’t touch on the Biblical Exegesis, but I was in a hurricane once. You can’t stand up in 100+ mph wind. It just can’t be done. Even if it blows the water out of the way, the people can’t walk in it. Crawl, maybe. Walk, hell no! ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/12 "2010-06-29T16:12:53Z")
The theory reported in the OP does not fit the description given in Exodus: > [@](#): > > 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. It does say there was a “strong east wind” but it says _twice_ that the ground was dry, and that the water was pushed back on _both sides_ of the Israelites. Coming up with a natural explanation is futile. You can either believe it is a myth, or a miracle, but not a natural event. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/13 "2010-06-29T16:15:12Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I’ve never understood why people still try to do it. I mean, what part of “omnipotent” don’t they get? But “omnipotent” doesn’t mean “omni-jerk”. I don’t want a God that’ll just wave a wand and make random miracles. I mean, how do I know he won’t decide to materialize a 60’ purple rhino in the middle of my morning commute? That’s what I like about this “explaining miracles through science” line of reasoning. If God created the world, complete with natural laws, wouldn’t he try to work _with_ those laws? So if he needs to clear a path through some water, I like having a wind do it, rather than some hocus-pocus. Although the scene in _Prince of Egypt_ is cool, seeing large sea creatures through the wall of water, I think the God of The Prince of Egypt tries not to work that way. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/14 "2010-06-30T15:30:57Z")
> [@Negative\_Lite](#): > > FWIW, here’s a somewhat entertaining [video](http://blog.oregonlive.com/nwheadlines/2010/01/video_kgw_reporter_blown_over.html)of some people trying to stand up in 100 mph winds. Thanks, it would have been nearly impossible ( in my mind) for a large group of people in an open sea with little childre etc. to walk as far as they had to. With a hunderd mile per hour wind. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/15 "2010-06-30T15:34:05Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Just goes to show that trying to resolve Biblical miracles in a naturalistic manner is generally futile. > > Classical Jewish sources (Talmud and Midrash) actually say that > > a) Part of the miracle was that the sea bed was completely dry, and > b) Pharaoh himself did not drown at the sea, only his army Read Exodus Chapter 15 verse 19, it tells of Pharao going in on hourse back into the sea,and the Lord bought upon them the waters of the sea…sounds to me like the Pharo would have drowned just like his army. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/16 "2010-06-30T15:41:23Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > It is unclear [in the bible whether Pharoah was drowned](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2014:23-28&version=NIV):It says all the horses and chariots and horsemen of Pharoah followed the Israelites; but it never specifically says Pharoah was drowned. Read Exodus chapter 15 verse 19, it says: The Pharao went in on hoseback into the sea,;and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea. So why would the Lord save only the Pharao? He could have used that as the Lord sparring him from drowing, which would have made him a big hero! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/17 "2010-06-30T15:44:44Z")
**monavis** , you have said yourself that the bible is just something that was written by men, so why are you even bothering? ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/18 "2010-06-30T16:02:12Z")
Right. I’m not sure why anyone bothers to attempt this type of rational explanation for a myth. Do you really need to go farther than the archelogical and historical evidence quite clearly pointing out that no such thing ever took place? Shows like this boggle the mind. What’s next? Build a chariot and set it on fire to try to explain Apollo? “Look, the horses naturally run at the sight of the smoke and flaming chariot that threatens to engulf them. Just as the ancient Greeks described!” ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/19 "2010-06-30T16:14:02Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Right. I’m not sure why anyone bothers to attempt this type of rational explanation for a myth. Do you really need to go farther than the archelogical and historical evidence quite clearly pointing out that no such thing ever took place? > > Shows like this boggle the mind. What’s next? Build a chariot and set it on fire to try to explain Apollo? > > “Look, the horses naturally run at the sight of the smoke and flaming chariot that threatens to engulf them. Just as the ancient Greeks described!” I’d watch that show if the producers of this show were in the chariot… ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912/20 "2010-06-30T16:14:07Z")
monavis: > [@](#): > > Read Exodus Chapter 15 verse 19, it tells of Pharao going in on hourse back into the sea,and the Lord bought upon them the waters of the sea…sounds to me like the Pharo would have drowned just like his army. Read it yourself: > [@Exodus 15:19](#): > > For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. It says that his “horse” (which is the literal translation, but may actually mean cavalry, i.e., his horse-power), horsemen (that’s the drivers of the horses, not necessarily, nor likely, the king himself) and chariots (again, this might refer to his chariot-forces rather than to the king’s chariot specifically - in fact, the use of the plural may indicate that this is more likely - but even if it was Pharaoh’s own chariot, the verse does not specifically say that Pharaoh himself was present) had the sea brought down upon them. It does not say that Pharaoh himself drowned, and Jewish tradition in fact has always said that he didn’t. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/studing-the-exodus/544912.md?page=2)