| Professor Barrett began the session, "At our last | | | | side and replaced it with a metal plate." |
| meeting, Sarah put the issue succinctly, and into the | | | | "Excellent", said the professor, "However- in addition |
| proper context - the remarkable evidence that has | | | | to the implication of the gilt chariot wheel - is there |
| been found - much in the past decade - about | | | | any other extra-biblical evidence regarding biblical |
| Israelites crossing the Red Sea and the drowning of | | | | references to the death of Pharaoh's firstborn son in |
| the Egyptian Chariot army - highlighting the extremely | | | | the Tenth Plague, and of the drowning of Pharaoh |
| unusual topographical 'set-up' with logic, asking | | | | himself with his chariot army. Does anyone know of |
| whether such abnormalities can be an indicator of | | | | anything more?" |
| something more than mere happenstance. To refresh | | | | Ranah cleared her throat, "Well, there are several |
| our memories of Sarah's points: 1) the gigantic size of | | | | historical artifacts which completely support the Bible's |
| Nuweiba Beach - the run-off from an average-size, | | | | stories of both the death of Pharaoh's firstborn son |
| now-dry river bed which meanders between rugged | | | | Tutankhamen in the Tenth Plague, and the drowning |
| hills; and 2) the ridge pathway - as both the means | | | | of Pharaoh. There is a remarkable Amarna letter |
| of their escape and the destruction of the pursuing | | | | from the widow of Pharaoh to the King of the |
| chariot army. Such a large flat area as Nuweiba Beach | | | | Hittites, neighboring people to Egypt at the time, |
| would be absolutely essential for a multitude of | | | | resulting from the death of her Pharaoh husband. The |
| desperate people to organize themselves and avoid | | | | two, together, also resolve a classic historical puzzle, |
| panic - after being strung out for so many, many | | | | ever since the discovery of the tomb of Boy-King |
| miles along the twisting, narrow wadi, absolutely | | | | Tut in 1922 - why an 18 year old prince is buried in |
| vulnerable to attack - and to escape a fast military | | | | the most lavish of tombs, when the established |
| force of horse-drawn chariots pursuing them. The | | | | tradition in Egypt has been that each Pharaoh builds |
| question - unanswerable dispositively, is a challenging | | | | his own tomb during his own lifetime, as a reflection |
| one - is not the improbability of the topographic | | | | of his life and achievements." |
| items - especially their close proximity to each other - | | | | - "The Queen, royal widow of Pharaoh Amenhotep |
| extremely persuasive that they appear to be a 'prop | | | | III, writes a most unusual Amarna letter to King |
| set-up'? And - if so, why so? An answer - perhaps | | | | Suppiluliumas of the Hittites, 'My husband is dead and |
| arranged by a Creator at the beginnings of Earth | | | | I have no son. People say you have many sons. If |
| itself - for the precise purpose of the Exodus event? | | | | you send me one of your sons, he will be my |
| Of course, it is unprovable either way, but it seems a | | | | husband, [it is] repugnant to me to take one of my |
| valid and interesting 'hypothetical' - calling for personal | | | | servants as husband. Since most ancient times.. [has] |
| religious belief and judgment. Such unusual | | | | never happened before. If I had a son should I write |
| topography - fitting so perfectly with the highly | | | | to a foreign country.. humiliating to me and my |
| unusual events told in the Bible. It is a fascinating | | | | country? He, who was my husband is dead and I |
| concept!" | | | | have no son.'" |
| Lawrence jumped in, "I've dug up some details that | | | | - "'Tutankhamen's Tomb,' writes Dr. Moeller in his |
| can help flesh out what we know about the area. As | | | | book, was considered remarkable.. no one could |
| had Sarah, he took out some notes in power-point | | | | understand how a young heir to Egypt's throne.. |
| format: | | | | achieved such a magnificent and ornate tomb, a |
| - "The inclination of the ridge pathway - it descends | | | | personal death-mask, containing a fabulous display of |
| from Nuweiba Beach at a 20:1 slope, while the ascent | | | | gold, jewelry, etc.'197. Historically, each Pharaoh - |
| to Saudi Arabia is 14:1, both are manageable for a | | | | especially one with a long reign as ruler of an |
| desperate people on foot." | | | | extremely wealthy Egypt - built his own tomb while |
| - "The distance of about seven or eight miles is also | | | | he lived, including what might be needed in his |
| compatible with the Bible's time for the Israelites to | | | | after-life. Yet here - in the largest, most ornate and |
| cross, in a portion of the night, or three to four | | | | lavish of tombs in all Egyptian history - was buried an |
| hours." | | | | eighteen year old prince." |
| - "The diving expedition took place fairly recently, in | | | | - "Dr. Moeller's book, 'The Exodus Case', provides |
| the spring of 2000; underwater photography was | | | | much solid reference material and advances the most |
| done using both a deep-diving remote-control | | | | remarkable theory in answer to the question above - |
| submersible and individual divers. Also, while Egypt and | | | | that the young Prince Tutankhamen, Pharaoh's |
| Saudi Arabia prohibit removal of underwater artifacts, | | | | first-born son, dies in the Tenth Plague; then Pharaoh |
| photography is permitted. At least a half-dozen | | | | Amenhotep and his chariot army drown in the Red |
| books plus the DVD film show the clumps of chariot | | | | Sea, so his body is lost; therefore the Egyptian court |
| wreckage, mostly coral-covered, strewn for miles | | | | decides to bury Prince Tutankhamen in Pharaoh's |
| along the ridge path-way, between Sinai peninsula | | | | available tomb. It all fits." |
| shore and Saudi Arabia." "One artifact is a gilt wheel, | | | | - "Confirming such a theory is another Egyptian |
| providing verification of the Bible's story of the death | | | | document, 'Young king [is] buried in tomb.. originally |
| of Pharaoh in Yam Suf - a four-spoked wooden | | | | prepared for Ay.'" |
| wheel covered with 'electrum', which is a pale yellow | | | | - "Supporting the drowning of the Egyptian |
| alloy of gold and silver, untouched by coral - which | | | | charioteers are two statements in the Ipuyer scroll: |
| does not adhere to silver or gold. The wheel clearly | | | | 'See, he who slept wifeless found a noblewoman.. are |
| indicates a "royal" charioteer. Photography shows it | | | | no more.' This, written as history long afterwards, |
| as lying flat and apart from other artifacts, it is circa | | | | obviously describes conditions after the loss of the |
| 1400 BC, which corresponds perfectly to the Exodus | | | | Egyptian army, composed generally of upper-class |
| period." | | | | males; 'See now, the land is deprived of kingship. See, |
| - "Also providing a confirming technical point, sensitive | | | | all the ranks, they are not in their place'". |
| underwater metal detectors, were used to verify | | | | - "Tel Amarna letters from neighboring cities, |
| that the coral-covered wooden wheels had been | | | | dependent for protection on Egypt, ask for troops. |
| reinforced with bronze - the Egyptians of the era | | | | 'cities [are] threatened.. [we] beg Pharaoh.. send |
| having developed metallurgical alloying as a process of | | | | troops.. but no help comes'. This supports Pharaoh |
| strengthening their chariot wheels." | | | | and his army having been lost in the Red Sea, as |
| - "Of unusual interest was an additional discovery on | | | | Egypt would be 'incapable of sending any troops.'; |
| both the Egyptian and Saudi Arabian shores, | | | | recovery of demoralized Egypt without an army, |
| described by Dr. Moeller, 'Two identical columns, | | | | would be 'the beginning of the end of the 18th |
| constructed of the same material and the same size, | | | | dynasty.'" |
| were found on either side of the Red Sea - Nuweiba | | | | - "Josephus, the Roman historian born a Jew, with |
| Beach, Egypt, and the opposite shore in Saudi Arabia | | | | use of the Temple scrolls, quotes Manetho, Egyptian |
| - exactly where the people of Israel are assumed to | | | | priest circa 300 BC regarding the 'easy conquest" of |
| have crossed.' His explanation, 'King Solomon probably | | | | mighty Egypt by the Hyksos.'204 - logical if the |
| erected them'; he also noted that the Saudi | | | | Egyptian chariot army had been destroyed. |
| government had recently removed the column on its | | | | |