Tuesday, July 15, 2008
New Articles on My Jewish Learning
This week's myjewishlearning.com lead articles are on religious differences within Jewish families... and they have been penned by me! I've placed the two articles' in the "Rabbi Rochel's Writings" sidebar to the left. Tell me what you think, and pass the articles on to anyone you feel can benefit from them.
Summer Viewing and Reading: The Exodus Decoded and Biblical Archaeology Society Discourse
Unlike many rabbis, I don't have too great a concern as to whether the Exodus from Egypt actually happened. If someone were to force me to choose a side, I'd say that I think it happened, but probably in a manner somewhat unlike the account in the Torah. My personal theology is not overly impressed with fact and prefers more mythic, metaphorical, or emotional forms of truth, but I believe that the Torah (as we have it, in written form) was compiled from oral traditions of God's Revelation (and I'm not too concerned about whether it occurred on Mt. Sinai, either). So, when a program called The Exodus Decoded aired a while back, produced by James Cameron, I rolled my eyes, mumbled under my breath about the foolishness of "Bible codes," and promptly forgot about it.
Although it is two years since the program first aired, I just saw The Exodus Decoded (watch here) on the History Channel, during my day-time, summer vacation multitasking. Its host, Simcha Jacobovici, has created a super-slick program that I found both riveting and melodramatic. Some of the program's claims were productively challenging and others seemed wildly speculative. A less-careful viewer could easily be convinced that Jacobovici had finally assembled the true story of how the Exodus occurred.
Immediately I ran to my computer, reeling from some of Simcha Jacobovici's assertions, particularly that Exodus occurred earlier than the usual date cited by biblical scholars. Before the show was even complete, I had found a Biblical Archaeology Society review of the program by UC Berkeley scholar Ron Hendel (who has been friend and teacher to many of my friends and peers) and the resulting dialogue between Jacobovici and Hendel and settled in for some serious back-and-forth regarding the program's claims (read here). Sadly, the level of discourse fails to meet my expectations. Hendel, a fine scholar by reputation, penned a review so scathing in tone and sloppy in argumentation that it is unsuccessful at providing cogent criticism of Jacobovici's scholarship. As someone who has read a fair amount of academic writing about films and also has a modest background in biblical history, I will offer my opinion that the BAS should have sent the review back to Hendel for a major rewrite.
Like Hendel, I was also turned off by the style of the program and its tone; however, a clearer viewing of The Exodus Decoded that patiently sorts scholarship from production values finds that there is much worthy of further consideration. I have no problem with Jacobovici's arguments regarding the timing of the Exodus to approximately 1500 BCE. He correctly notes in his response to Hendel's article that the only current archaeological evidence of the presence of the Israelites/Hebrews back in the land of Canaan (Israel) can only tell us a date by which they must have arrived (approx. 1270 CE), rather than bearing any evidence as to their actual arrival from the Exodus. I also have little problem accepting an earlier date for the Israelites reaching Egypt to begin with; after reading the reader's comments on the BAS site, I actually think that it is worth considering whether the Israelites might have joined the Semitic Hyksos, who were already there. In other words, the Israelites were not identical with the Hyksos, but were rather cousins visiting from out of town, hoping to benefit from Hyksos riches and power while their homeland was deep in famine.
The other evidence I find most provocative is the geological and archaeological evidence of the Santorini volcano eruption and corresponding seismologic activity. In particular, the recent examples of parallel, natural "plagues" in Cameroon is hard to miss. Do I think that it is possible that a gas cloud killed only first born Egyptians? Probably not. But the culmination of such an event (a killer gas cloud that only killed some people, based on elevation) following the reddening of a lake, the killing of all of its fish, the swarming of frogs, the coming of disease, and the formation of boils is highly suggestive that we are talking about a similar natural cause (whether sent, or not, by a supernatural God).
Where Jacobovici really loses me is in his explanations of some of the representational artifacts he brings as evidence: three grave markers in Mycenae that he claims depict the Exodus; three pieces of jewelry he says represent the Ark of the Covenant, recreated by the Danaites (who he says are members of the tribe of Dan) of Mycenaean antiquity; a signet ring he attributes to Joseph (son of Jacob); and various other items linking Minoan and Egyptian cultures. I think Jacobovici uses a lot of showmanship in presenting his imaginative reinterpretations of the artifacts. I don't discount the possibility that he "reads them" correctly, mind you--I just think that they are as questionable as any other guesses about the same artifacts.
Do I think my students should see this program? Maybe. If you go into it with a critical eye, I think that The Exodus Decoded is offers a fascinating set of hypotheses in support of one of Biblical archaeology and Judaism's greatest mysteries.
Although it is two years since the program first aired, I just saw The Exodus Decoded (watch here) on the History Channel, during my day-time, summer vacation multitasking. Its host, Simcha Jacobovici, has created a super-slick program that I found both riveting and melodramatic. Some of the program's claims were productively challenging and others seemed wildly speculative. A less-careful viewer could easily be convinced that Jacobovici had finally assembled the true story of how the Exodus occurred.
Immediately I ran to my computer, reeling from some of Simcha Jacobovici's assertions, particularly that Exodus occurred earlier than the usual date cited by biblical scholars. Before the show was even complete, I had found a Biblical Archaeology Society review of the program by UC Berkeley scholar Ron Hendel (who has been friend and teacher to many of my friends and peers) and the resulting dialogue between Jacobovici and Hendel and settled in for some serious back-and-forth regarding the program's claims (read here). Sadly, the level of discourse fails to meet my expectations. Hendel, a fine scholar by reputation, penned a review so scathing in tone and sloppy in argumentation that it is unsuccessful at providing cogent criticism of Jacobovici's scholarship. As someone who has read a fair amount of academic writing about films and also has a modest background in biblical history, I will offer my opinion that the BAS should have sent the review back to Hendel for a major rewrite.
Like Hendel, I was also turned off by the style of the program and its tone; however, a clearer viewing of The Exodus Decoded that patiently sorts scholarship from production values finds that there is much worthy of further consideration. I have no problem with Jacobovici's arguments regarding the timing of the Exodus to approximately 1500 BCE. He correctly notes in his response to Hendel's article that the only current archaeological evidence of the presence of the Israelites/Hebrews back in the land of Canaan (Israel) can only tell us a date by which they must have arrived (approx. 1270 CE), rather than bearing any evidence as to their actual arrival from the Exodus. I also have little problem accepting an earlier date for the Israelites reaching Egypt to begin with; after reading the reader's comments on the BAS site, I actually think that it is worth considering whether the Israelites might have joined the Semitic Hyksos, who were already there. In other words, the Israelites were not identical with the Hyksos, but were rather cousins visiting from out of town, hoping to benefit from Hyksos riches and power while their homeland was deep in famine.
The other evidence I find most provocative is the geological and archaeological evidence of the Santorini volcano eruption and corresponding seismologic activity. In particular, the recent examples of parallel, natural "plagues" in Cameroon is hard to miss. Do I think that it is possible that a gas cloud killed only first born Egyptians? Probably not. But the culmination of such an event (a killer gas cloud that only killed some people, based on elevation) following the reddening of a lake, the killing of all of its fish, the swarming of frogs, the coming of disease, and the formation of boils is highly suggestive that we are talking about a similar natural cause (whether sent, or not, by a supernatural God).
Where Jacobovici really loses me is in his explanations of some of the representational artifacts he brings as evidence: three grave markers in Mycenae that he claims depict the Exodus; three pieces of jewelry he says represent the Ark of the Covenant, recreated by the Danaites (who he says are members of the tribe of Dan) of Mycenaean antiquity; a signet ring he attributes to Joseph (son of Jacob); and various other items linking Minoan and Egyptian cultures. I think Jacobovici uses a lot of showmanship in presenting his imaginative reinterpretations of the artifacts. I don't discount the possibility that he "reads them" correctly, mind you--I just think that they are as questionable as any other guesses about the same artifacts.
Do I think my students should see this program? Maybe. If you go into it with a critical eye, I think that The Exodus Decoded is offers a fascinating set of hypotheses in support of one of Biblical archaeology and Judaism's greatest mysteries.
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