The last of the three papers that I wanted to edit and publish is about the exodus of Israelites from Egypt and their subsequent conquest of Canaan. I uploaded it to Academia as usual. It is the paper that I wrote for Old Testament background class, which was my last and definitely one of the best. The professor has presented us with very well organized and intriguing data. I don't think that it's my professional bias speaking out of me. It was really interesting.

My paper is somewhat robust. I attempted to cover a great variety of related issues, which resulted in a paper that is too dense and too rushed. I do think that I should have written something clearer and narrower, but I couldn't help myself.

Another issue with this paper is that I “oversell” myself a little bit, as the professor had put it. I basically contend that all the maximalist theories are wrong, deeply burdened with insurmountable problems and that we have to do better. I contend that the exodus took place in 16th century by the time of Hyksos expulsion and that Hyksos are the biblical Amorites.

I seriously contemplated cutting my paper into three pieces, but I eventually left it this way.

(1) In the first part, I'm reviewing the well known problems of “biblical chronology,” biased historical accounts, and way too great numbers of people coming out of Egypt. I'm rather progressively explaining these issues and suggesting that the exodus is an essentially elusive event. The story itself refuses to be read on any particular historical background. This is not to deny it's historicity. I just contend that our reading of the story requires a more flexible and complex approach.

(2) In the second part, I'm reviewing the main problems of 15th and 13th century theories as proposed by Kitchen, Hoffmeier, Wood, Miller, etc. I find these theories highly problematic.

(3) In the third part, I'm utilizing thoughts of Na'aman, Hendel, and Bimson and proposing a new theory. I basically contend that the exodus happened in 16th century, right before or in the time of the expulsion of Hyksos. I would also say that Hyksos were the biblical Amorites, whose “iniquity” (Gn 15) was that they enslaved their Semitic cousins while ruling over Egypt.