The Parting of the Sea: How Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Plagues Shaped the Story of Exodus
Search in google:
"One seldom encounters an author with Sivertsen's broad learning, meticulous scholarship, and graceful writing. Because of her thoroughness, the research in this book will remain valuable for decades to come: she has done an exceptional job of digging into the wide variety of fields relevant to understanding the Exodus. A superb and stunning book."--Paul and Elizabeth Barber, authors of When They Severed Earth from Sky: How the Human Mind Shapes Myth"With an arresting topic, great storytelling, superb scholarship, and a command of diverse sources, Sivertsen makes an important contribution to a significant historic and scientific puzzle."--Adrienne Mayor, author of The First Fossil Hunters: Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times and Fossil Legends of the First Americans"Effectively weaving together and analyzing a large amount of data, The Parting of the Sea is a well-researched, well-written look at the recent information, theories, and hypotheses dealing with the Exodus and occupation of Canaan by the Israelites."--Jelle Zeilinga de Boer, author of Volcanoes in Human History: The Far-Reaching Effects of Major Eruptions Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Sivertsen, long-time editor of the Journal of Geology, has combed the scientific literature-including Near Eastern and Egyptian archeology, Biblical studies, anthropology, biochemistry and medicine-to answer the question, is the Bible's Exodus story based in historical events? While her affirmative conclusion may not be surprising, the evidence that takes her there is. Her most revolutionary discovery is that the original, oral history of the Exodus story conflates two historical events, separated by several hundred years-clarifying what had been a major chronological obstacle to previous efforts trying to correlate it with the volcanic eruption of the Santorini-Thera in 1625 B.C. Siversten locates a different eruption, the 1450 B.C. submarine explosion of the island of Yali, which would have caused the tsunami that inundated Egyptians in the "Sea of Reeds." Providing what may be the most coherent correlation yet of ancient Egyptian history, the archeology of both Egypt and Palestine, and the biblical traditions of pre-literate Israel, Sivertsen also thoroughly documents and explains each interdisciplinary facet (including volcanism and tectonics as well as oral transmission in non-literate societies). This outstanding accomplishment should be a source of research direction for years to come. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Figures and TablesIntroduction The Exodus, Oral Tradition, and Natural HistoryCh. 1 Dating the Exodus 1Ch. 2 The Coming of the Hyksos 10Ch. 3 The Minoan Eruption 23Ch. 4 The Plagues, the Exodus, and Historical Reality 35Ch. 5 Moses and the Mountain of God 46Ch. 6 The Sojourn in the Wilderness 68Ch. 7 Meanwhile, Back in Civilization 83Ch. 8 The Destruction of Jericho 93Ch. 9 The Conquest and Settlement of Canaan 102Ch. 10 Back to Egypt 120Ch. 11 The Formation of the Exodus Tradition 140Appendix Oral Transmission, Memory and Recall, and Oral History 152Abbreviations 157Notes 159Glossary of Geological and Technical Terms 199Bibliography 205Index 229
