![]() ![]() In my opinion, you have an entirely different reason to question the validity of the Torah. In short, why should you assume that the Torah is any less valid than ancient texts discovered buried in some remote cave or tomb, on a papyrus which is partially disintegrated and written in a script which has not been used for hundreds or even thousands of years? Such a stance does not make sense. One can find accurate replications of the entire text, completely legible, printed clearly by modern printing presses, with no fragmentation, in every corner of the globe furthermore, the Torah is not written in a dead tongue with symbols that require the diligent work of teams of experts in order to be deciphered and understood the Torah has always been written in a language which is easily and readily understood by hundreds of thousands of people, scattered all over the globe. ![]() Its text has been scrupulously preserved for over three thousand years with a precision which no nation has duplicated. There would be only one copy of it, and it would be torn and discolored by time. Your question leads me to challenge you, in turn: If you would be willing to accept an Egyptian record of the plagues as valid historical proof that they took place, why do you contest the Biblical record as a satisfactory proof?Īny record found in Egyptian sources – such as the Ipuwer papyrus – will most likely be fragmented. The failure of modern man to find collaboration in Egyptian records of events which were highly embarrassing to them could be explained in many, many ways. Secondly – and this is the main point – if it were the fact that we, today, had not discovered any Egyptian records of these events, that would not constitute any sort of proof that they did not take place. Skeptic: But how do you explain the fact that the Egyptians kept no record of events in which they were so inextricably involved?īeliever: First of all, let me draw your attention to the Ipuwer papyrus, which clearly refers to the period of the Exodus. It would be foolish to cast any doubts on a living, dynamic tradition which has preserved in great detail the names, dates, and locations of these events only because our enemy and adversary failed to record some of the events it reports. The tradition of my fathers and forefathers is sufficient testimony to the veracity of the Torah for me to accept it as the absolute truth. Skeptic: You must be pleased that now you can find support for the Biblical account in an Egyptian historical document.īeliever: Again, I must disappoint you. There is no denying, however, that the text makes interesting reading. Ipuwer's report neither adds to the Torah's description of the events, nor detracts from it. ![]() From my point of view, however, no proofs are required. There is a detailed description of these events, recorded by an eye-witness, an Egyptian priest named Ipuwer. Is this not so?īeliever: I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I cannot agree. Skeptic: You must admit, my friend, that it is very odd that there is no record of the amazing, supernatural events of the Ten Plagues, the exodus, or the Splitting of the Red sea in Egypt's historical literature. The skeptic turns to the believer with a question and a challenge: The believer has no doubts as to the authenticity of the events recorded in the Torah, and lives his life accordingly. Let us imagine a conversation between a skeptic, who is not yet convinced of the authenticity of the Exodus, and a confirmed believer, who imbibed the story of the Ten Plagues, the Exodus from Egypt, and the Splitting of the Red Sea, together with his mother's milk. The events it describes are dramatic and devastating. It was only about one hundred years ago that scholars managed to translate the document satisfactorily. Parts of it are missing, and the language proved difficult to decipher. The Papyrus includes seventeen columns of verse, and appears to be a copy of the original document. It is housed in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities, which purchased it from Giovanni Anastasi, the Swedish consul to Egypt, in 1828. Commonly called the "Ipuwer Papyrus" after its author, an Egyptian priest, it is a single surviving poem, called "The Admonitions of Ipuwer" or "The Dialogues of Ipuwer and the Lord of All". The Ten Plagues in Egypt are documented in an Egyptian papyrus discovered near the Pyramids. A rational thinker would require no additional proof the traditional sources are ample for him, however, such proofs do exist. Jewish tradition has faithfully preserved a full record, both oral and written, of the events of the Exodus. ![]()
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