Exodus - an Authentic Record of Events

The Bible is the inspired word of God. This page is a continuation in a series of articles about the Bible as God’s word.

Part 33  Exodus - an Authentic Record of Events

Last time we considered comments in the Ipuwer papyrus which would be in harmony with reports in the book of Exodus concerning Category 4 - The Plundering of Rich Egyptians of their valuables. We noted how Exodus mentions a “mixed multitude,” not of Israel, who joined their escape from Egypt under Moses.

Even though it was the Israelite slaves who Moses sent to request valuables from the Egyptians, it would be likely that other slaves would be moved by this event to covet such riches.

Whether asking their masters or neighbours like the Israelite slaves or not, many more slaves would help themselves to their valuables before disappearing with their loot. Many of these would join the march of Israel out of Rameses - Exodus 12:37-38. But many others would decide that their chances were better to remain in Egypt to enjoy their new wealth.

It may well have been the “mixed multitude” of non-Israelite slaves who are referred to in SECTION I (see last article), joining the plundering already done by the Israelites. On the other hand, how many of those Egyptians would be ready to admit that they had willingly handed over this wealth to the Israelites, and claim instead that it was taken without their consent?

Although it would not have been a long time between Israel’s receiving the treasures from the Egyptians, and their departure, it would not take many sightings of their women wearing costly jewellery to be noted and remembered by the Egyptians, as Ipuwer has it in SECTION III. But again, this would not exclude later sightings of the other slaves who decided to remain in Egypt.

Those wealthy Egyptians who were more severely plundered appear as the “noblewomen” in “rags”, no longer able to afford the imported “cedar” coffins in which they buried their deceased family members. Nor did they have the ability to pay for the foreign exotic oils, resins and gums used by the embalmers. This concern is seen in their beliefs in the afterlife and the elaborate set of burial customs that the Egyptians believed were necessary to ensure immortality after death, and most importantly, preservation of the body by mummification.

There are many other statements relevant to this category in SECTIONS II, V, VII-IX. The full list in all categories is available on request.

Before continuing with the next category of events, next time God willing, we note that attempts have been made to explain events in some of these categories by other events. For example, some scholars, noting the reference to the Nile in SECTION II in the Papyrus, “the river is blood,” suggest that this is a mineral which has been washed into the river.

The difficulty with that is that there is no explanation where such a huge quantity of sediment could have come from to cause a mass destruction of fish, which is referred to in both Exodus and Ipuwer’s comments. Others have suggested that volcanic ash could have colored the Nile, but again, it would appear unlikely that sufficient quantities of ash could be expected to fly through the atmosphere to descend on such a large river to be able to kill masses of its fish.

But such considerations may be surpassed by taking into account the unique combination of circumstances which the comments in the Ipuwer papyrus call for.

Next time, God willing, the fifth category, the breakdown of law and order.