The statue image shown in the photograph above might have been an image of the patriarch Joseph. (All the evidence suggests that this is a strong possibility.) This statue was discovered in Avaris/Pi-Rameses, in a tomb within a palace garden. The statue was in the tomb facing east toward the promised land.
Please know: a coffin and human bones were absent in this particular tomb.
There are notable peculiarities about this statue shown above. This man doesn't carry the usual beard. He is clean shaven (ref: Genesis 41:14). The face is painted in pale ochre - the standard pigment used by Egyptian artists to indicate the skin color of a northerner heralding from the Levant (area of Canaan). The most unusual feature is the flame-red hair and mushroom hair style. Across his right breast, he holds his insignia of office. Pharaoh holds the crook and flail, but this noble man holds his "throw-stick" - the Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used to denote a foreigner. It is telling us to recognize a man of foreign origins, but a man who has become completely integrated in the highest reaches of Egyptian culture.
The most notable feature of this statue is that he is wrapped with a coat of many colors.
Please compare the above statue image with a "normal" pharaoh image shown below.
(There were many more archeological discoveries within Avaris/Pi-Rameses and in the exodus biblical areas that are not noted in this presentation.)
(March 7, 2009)
PART TWO:
Last week I wrote a bit about the exodus out of Egypt. This week I want to narrow in on some logistics based on the animals that I think might present you with a clearer picture of the event and how it transpired. This includes discussing the area of Goshen some more.
We've all probably read the exodus a thousand times, but because we were not there for the actual event (didn't experience it for ourselves, were not first hand eye witnesses, didn't smell it, feel it, etc.) I think it's been easy to over-look certain important aspects of the event. I'm including myself in this statement.
Since I grew-up on a farm and had to care for animals, I've given the animal aspect some deeper thought this past week. I telephoned my father and discussed the logistics of the animals with him this past week to make sure my numbers are correct. He is a qualified person to discuss this with. He is not only an electrical engineer and land surveyor, he was a dairyman and farmer. Both sides of my family were/are either dairymen, beef-cattlemen, farmers and ranchers. My father's father also use to have a sheep herd when he was young. It was his job to butcher a sheep/lamb every week to feed the family. My family understands animal husbandry including butchering large animals such as cattle.
As I mentioned last week, the Israelites lived in a separate area called "Goshen" that was segregated from the Egyptians. (Ref: Genesis 45:9-11 and Geneses 46:28-34.) I am convinced they were segregated because the Egyptians considered shepherds an abomination. (The Israelites were shepherds!)
Joseph spoke to his family and said the following to them in Genesis 46:33-34:
And it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, "What is your occupation?" that you shall say, "Your servants have been men of livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers," so that you dwell in the land of Goshen, FOR EVERY SHEPHERD IS AN ABOMINSATION TO THE EGYPTIANS."
I can't see the Pharaoh placing Joseph's family right in the middle of the Egyptians if they were considered an abomination. (Another bible translation uses the word "detestable" rather than "abomination". Either word demostrates strong repulsive feelings toward the Israelites.)
Exodus 9:25-26 demostrates that Goshen was an area where only the Israelites lived. They were clearly segregated from the Egyptians up to the time during the plagues. During the hail plague for example, Exodus 9:25-26 says that YHWH destroyed all of the field-crops in Egypt except in the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived.
Ironically, Pharaoh told Joseph to settle his brethren in the BEST OF THE LAND...in Goshen (Gen 47:6). (He must have really liked Joseph!) This fact is an important aspect in order to render some logistical numbers based on the animals. Animals need a lot of grass and vegetation to eat. I suspect that the Goshen area was very fertile since scripture clearly informs us that it was THE BEST of the land. I will take in account that the area was part of the Nile Delta.
If we now examine the logistics of the animals, we can visualize a better picture of the area and the exodus. Exodus 12:37-38 informs us that there were six-hundred thousand men on foot, besides the children. And, there was a great multitude of flocks, herds and live-stock. Last week, I calculated TEN animals per man. My father said this figure is accurate. He said that if there were less than ten animals per man, the animals would not be able to reproduce fast enough before they would all be butchered. Besides, they also used the animals for other purposes other than meat. And, keep in mind: there were woman and children connected to each man. Based upon on the archeological grave discoveries, there was a ratio of about 3/1. Three women for every one man. This finding substantiates the fact that all of the first born male babies were murdered during the time when Moses was a baby. Consequently, there were several women and children connected to one man. Therefore, at least a handfull or more people depended upon a group of ten animals. They most likely milked the goats, fleeced the sheep for the wool, etc. So, my guesstimate figure of SIX MILLION animals is conservatively accurate. The Israelites took approximately six million animals with them during the time of the exodus out of Egypt.
My father said that every two animals need one acre of land to survive if they are not manually fed. ie., fed bails of hay or grass harvested from some where else. Although; either way, it takes one acre of vegetation to feed two animals. (I rather doubt the Egyptians were in the "hay" business - growing it and selling it to the Hebrews.) In order to feed six million animals, three million acres of grass and/or vegetation is required. This acreage doesn't include the space for the houses that each of the families lived in. So, I can rightly say - based upon these statistics alone - that the Goshen area that the Israelites lived in was OVER three million acres. It was a huge area to say the least. And, scripture reveals that there were fields of grain (ie., barley, flax, wheat, spelt) within the Goshen area (ref: Exodus 9:25-26, 31-32). And, we also know that they grew fruits and vegetables for themselves in addition to the grains (Ref: Num11:5). Since this was also the case, the area of Goshen that the Israelites occupied would have been much larger. A conservative figure could be in the tune of four million acres or more!
No one knows for sure where Goshen was exactly located. Incredible, but true. My bible map book suggests that Goshen was on the east side of Pi-Rameses. I don't think this is correct. Other sources suggest that it was south of Pi-Rameses. This suggestion is a bit more logical with the exodus in mind. Although, perhaps both suggestions are correct given the amount of land that the Israelites occupied. I'm of the belief that Pi-Rameses was the central meeting point on the 15th day. (I'll explain this in further detail subsequently.) Archeologists believe Pi-Rameses is where Joseph lived and died. And, it's helpful to know that Pi-Rameses was previously known as "Avaris".
Some information about Pi-Rameses is helpful in understanding the broader picture. As the main course of the Nile migrated eastward and the delta sedimented up and moved with the river its position at the hub of Egypt's delta emporia made it a major administrative capital of the Hyksos "Phoenician kings" and other traders. Excavations have shown that at one point it was a well-developed center of trade.
As I already mentioned, Pi-Rameses was previously know as "Avaris". And, it is believed that Joseph lived during the time when it was called, "Avaris". The Egyptian spelling of "Avaris" is "Hatwaret" and it means "house of the department" and denotes the capital of an administrative division of the land. When pharaoh Ramesses II founded his new capital at this old site of Avaris, the city was then called Pi-Rameses meaning "Domain of Rameses II, Great in Victory".
David M. Rohl wrote in his book titled, "Pharaohs And Kings, A Biblical Quest": excavations and the amount of discoveries in Avaris/Pi-Rameses demonstrate that this was the city that the Israelites departed from on the 15th day of the first month as recorded in Numbers 33. (See book image on the left under the flower.)
LEAVING GOSHEN:
All of the biblical and archeological evidence demonstrate that the Israelites traveled to Pi-Rameses after departing from Goshen. (Scripture demonstrates that they had face-to-face encounters with the Egyptians during their trek out of Egypt. Ref: Exodus 12:33-35) And, when they traveled, they herded those six million animals along with them. Consequently, those six million animals left a large amount of excrement behind amongst those egyptians. In other words, the city of Rameses was literally s-h-i-t on. And, think of the smell!
Based upon the old-west cattle drives and my father's calculations, herding six million animals by foot would take 45 minutes per 1 mile. So, with those figures, I guesstimate that the Israelites averaged 12.5 miles a day. [There shouldn't be any wonder why they became nervous when the Pharaoh decided to chase after them with their horses - most likely at full speed (Ref: Ex 14:17-18, 15:1]).
The exodus was no small event given the facts of how many Israelites and animals there were. The magnitude of everything was enormous.
WHY WOULD THE ISRAELITES FIRST TRAVEL TO PI-RAMESES FROM GOSHEN ON THE 14th BEFORE 'DEPARTING' ON THE 15th? (Ref: Num 33:3)
Firstly, I am of the opinion that this said proposed event and the timing thereof actually occurred. Secondly, I think there are two important reasons why it occurred in the way that I propose.
First reason: Archeologists believe Pi-Rameses is where Joseph lived, died and was buried. (According to the "Pharaohs and Kings - A Biblical Quest, by David M. Rohl, they found a tomb that is believed to have been Joseph's tomb. Within the tomb was a statue of a red-headed man, clean-shaven, with a 'throw-stick', and he is wearing a coat of many colors. This particular "throw-stick" design, by the way, shows someone with top authority but someone who wasn't born a native egyptian. (See image and more information on the left, under the flower.) Joseph was an important figure in the Egyptian hierarchy. And, I suspect when Joseph died, he was enshrined. Genesis 50:26 informs us that Joseph was embalmed and placed in a coffin. And, in Exodus 13:9, we're told that Moses had Joseph's bones - after they had already departed. It seems logical to me that Moses would not fetch Joseph's bones UNTIL AFTER he received approval to leave because he would have had to break into the shrine/tomb. It would have been considered grave robbery.
Second reason: We already know that the Israelites plundered the Egyptians in Exodus 12:35-36 AFTER Pharaoh gave them orders to leave. (This was also a commandment from YHWH - Ex 11:1-2) This event is a fact. And, it is also a fact that the Israelites were segregated from the Egyptians and performed the Passover in THEIR homes. Therefore, the entire nation of Israel must have traveled into a city where the Egyptians lived AFTER performing the Passover. There isn't any-way around this fact. Logic dictates that they wouldn't just hit-up (plunder) a small country town on their way out of Egypt. Succoth was their next stopping point after Rameses and this "town" - if I can call it that - wasn't substantial. Jacob named this spot during his early travels (Ref: Gen 33:17). To plunder great amounts of silver, gold, and valuable garments, they would have had to hit-up a big metropolitan city - a main city, an administrative city where a lot of trade took place. Avaris/Pi-Rameses would be the logical and ideal place. (This gold and silver was used for the ark-of-the-covenant and the rest of the implements.) And, the amount of archeological evidence discovered in Avaris/Pi-Rameses supports this claim.
My main point of this second reason is this: Numbers 33 doesn't account for the travel period of time FROM Goshen TO Rameses - the prosperous administrative city. And, I believe I have provided a reasonable account for the gap in the chronology.
[A quick important note: I think the reason why the travel chronology from Goshen to Rameses wasn't readily mentioned is this: it wasn't significant. I don't think they were fully grouped and organized until they reached Rameses. I think Rameses was the meeting place. And, the central focus was this: executing judgement on the Egyptians and their gods with the final blow on Rameses - the capital city. (Ref: Num 33:4) That city was literally s-h-i-t on! The law of nature tells me this was a FACT! And, that city was also stripped of it's wealth.]
IN SUMMARY:
The Israelites lived in Goshen and they were spread-out very widely over at least four million acres! They performed the Passover in THEIR own houses (Ex 12:22) on the 14th day of the first month. After the Passover - in the morning, they left their homes in Goshen and traveled to Rameses.
When they reached Rameses, they plundered the wealth - gold, silver, valuable garments, and Moses then had the opportune moment to break into Joseph's tomb and snatch his bones.
The Israelites made a grand exit in the morning of the 15th day. Numbers chapter 33 tells us they walked out boldly, with a high hand in front of those Egyptians while they were burying their dead. On the 15th day, the entire day was spent traveling to Succoth.
This proposed chronology would have given the Egyptians one day to prepare their dead loved ones for burial.
Based upon educated calculations, the Israelites could only travel about 12.5 miles a day. (Keep in mind: those animals were not like cars and trucks. They needed to rest, eat and drink.) Even so, it appears those Israelites pushed those animals - perhaps even farther than 12.5 miles on the 14th day since they were spread-out over such a large area in Goshen. The edge of Goshen - according to Wikipedia, was a few kilometers south of Pi-Rameses. HOWEVER, the distance from Pi-Rameses to Succoth was a full days travel based upon my bible atlas by Harper and Collins.
I have a difficult time believing that they could travel from the large area of Goshen, to Pi-Rameses, plunder the Egyptians (and possibly snatch Joseph's bones), then again depart from Pi-Rameses, and THEN! travel all the way to Succoth before making camp....all in one day!--the 15th day. It doesn't seem possible to me. It's illogical. The coming and going would take some re-organization also. I just can't see it all occurring in one day.
Moreover, an early 14th Passover observance in Exodus (as I have proposed) is harmonious with Christ's statement and the event recorded in Matthew 26:17-21.