Are there any extra-biblical Archaeological or Historical evidences that the Israelites were once slaves in Egypt?

Answer 1

Since the Israelites were slaves in Egypt one would hardly expect a great mass of information about them. The period in which they were in Egypt is noted for a great deal of building and the Egyptian empire declined after their departure. In addition, it seems historically unlikely that the firstborn son of the relevant Pharoah actually ascended the throne as was normally the case but his place was taken by another.

Thutmose III was the great builder under which they toiled just prior to the ascension to the throne of his successor Amenhotep II. Thutmose III employed semitic slaves in his building program. His CEO, or building overseer, named Rekhmire left a tomb on which brick-making scenes are depicted, reminiscent of Exodus 5:6-19.

The problem often relates to the words 'relevant period.' People don't find evidence because they are looking in the wrong time period, for whatever reason. There is good evidence to suggest that the Egyptian chronology needs revision since a number of 'Kings' may have ruled concurrently and not consecutively.

You can find some great information here (with sources)

M. Bietak, Avaris and Piramesse: Archaeological Exploration in the Eastern Nile Delta, (London: The British Academy, 1986); "Der Friedhof in einem Palastgarten aus der Zeit des spten Mittleren Riches und andere Forschungsergebnisse aus dem stlichen Nildelta (Tell el-Daba 1984-1987)," Agypten und Levante 2 (1991a), pp. 47-109; "Egypt and Canaan During the Middle Bronze Age," Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 281 (1991b), pp. 27-72; Avaris: The Capital of the Hyksos, (London: British Museum Press, 1996).

Answer 2

It is possible, but unlikely that some Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians at sometime during the middle of the second millennium BCE. However, there is no extra-biblical evidence, either archaeological or historical, for any such event. The leading Israeli archaeologist, Israel Finkelstein said, "Today more than 90% of scholars agree that there was no Exodus from Egypt".

Answer 3

There is no archeological or historical evidence that the Israelites were ever really in Egypt, as slaves or otherwise. The only thing we have is the biblical account, and Israel Finkelstein says that over 90 per cent of scholars say that the Exodus never really happened as described in The Bible. In fact, some of the biblical details conflict with what we now know of the period the Israelites are supposed to have fled Egypt.

The Egyptians kept detailed records of everyday life and commercial transactions, yet they never wrote of anything that even indirectly suggests the presence of a large group of foreign slaves, their sudden departure or the loss of an entire pursuing army. Egypt remained economically and militarily powerful long after the supposed Exodus, continuing to be the colonial overlords of the Canaanites.

If the Hebrew language contained Egyptian roots, or even just a few usefulwords of Egyptian origin, this could be deduced as possible evidence that the Israelites spent centuries in Egypt, but even this evidence is lacking. Hebrew is a language very closely related to Canaanite and evolved around the end of the ninth century BCE. This and all the available archaeological evidence points to the real origins of the Hebrew people as coming from the Canaanite people. For whatever reason, the early Hebrews chose to forget their real origins.

Answer 4

Yes (Exodus ch.1).In the Exodus, Moses brought the Israelites out of the Egyptian slavery under the guidance of God, after God brought plagues upon the Egyptians (Exodus ch.1-12). The Israelite exodus is also borne out by the Ipuwer papyrus, which mentions a number of the Plagues ("Pestilence is throughout the land....the river is blood, death is not scarce...there is no food...neither fruit nor herbs can be found...barley has perished...all is ruin...the statues are burned") (Professor John van Seters, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology no. 50). The plagues were also described by ancient historians, including Herodotus and Diodorus. The Exodus is mentioned by Strabo, Berosus, Artapanus, Numenius, Justin, and Tacitus.

Answer 5

There is no evidence at all. There are no inscriptions from the relevant period that ever mentioned the Israelites. Although the ancient Egyptians kept extraordinarily detailed records of their daily lives, including all kinds of contracts and transactions, they never mentioned a race of slaves in their midst even over a period of 430 years. This omission is all the more surprising if we literally accept the number of Hebrew slaves claimed by the Book of Exodus - 600,000 fighting men, equivalent to 2.5 million men, women and children, or two thirds of the Egyptian population at the time. At a time when average life expectancy was around 50 years, the Israelites were said to live for 120 to 137 years. The Egyptians could be expected to want to know the secret of almost eternal youth, yet nothing was ever written about slaves who lived to such great ages. No Egyptian wrote of the great plagues of Moses and the loss of the slaves was never mentioned even though, if true, this would have had a devastating impact on the Egyptian economy, no doubt making many contracts unenforceable. Conversely, there is no reference in the Bible to the Egyption dominion over Canaan, an omission that by itself strongly suggests that the biblical record is not historic.
There is no archaeological evidence of large-scale Hebrew presence in Egypt, nor of the 40 year sojourn in the desert, nor of the conquest of Canaan. Even if the band of fleeing Hebrews had been much smaller than claimed, they would still have left some evidence behind. Archaeologists say they have found occasional camp-site evidence from previous centuries as well as from later periods, but nothing from the Exodus.
Some believe that Egyptian power declined inexplicably in the late fifteenth century BCE, saying that this must be evidence of a loss such as the loss of so many slaves, but Egypt remained at the height of its power. The remarkable Amarna letters attest that this was still true in the mid-1300s BCE and that even then Egypt was the undisputed power throughout Palestine and Syria, supported by a network of petty Canaanite rulers.

Others see obscure evidence in the succession of Amenhotep II after the long reign of Thutmose III, but Amenhotephad already been co-regent, so naturally succeeded his father.

Answer 6

Yes. The evidence is the unbroken 3300 year tradition of the Israelite people and their Jewish descendants, as recorded in the Torah, the Talmud, and various other sources ancient and recent. This tradition is held by Christians and Muslims as well. For the Plagues:

The Ipuwer papyri (Professor John van Seters, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology no. 50). The plagues were also described by ancient historians, including Herodotus and Diodorus. The Exodus is mentioned by Strabo, Berosus, Artapanus, Numenius, Justin, and Tacitus.

For Moses:

Moses is mentioned by ancient non-Jewish writers going back over 2,300 years, including Hecataeus, Strabo, Alexander Polyhistor, Manetho, Apion, Chaeremon, Tacitus, and Porphyry. Non-religious ancient Jewish sources mention him too, such as Artapanus, Eupolemus, Josephus and Philo.See also:

Debunking the Bible-criticsArchaeology and the Hebrew Bible

Evidence of the conquest of Jericho

Answer 7

Yes.

The Ipuwer papyrus describes Egypt's experiencing the Plagues: "Pestilence is throughout the land....the river is blood, death is not scarce...there is no food...neither fruit nor herbs can be found...barley has perished...all is ruin...the statues are burned" (Professor John van Seters, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology no. 50).

• Link: More on the topic
  

The plagues were also described by ancient historians, including Herodotus and Diodorus. The Exodus is mentioned by Strabo, Berosus, Artapanus, Numenius, Justin, and Tacitus.

• Link: Evidence of the Exodus
  

But in any case, few nations are content to record embarrassing setbacks honestly. Even today, British and American textbooks describe the American Revolution in very different ways.

An example of the above principle:

The destruction of Sennacherib's army at the walls of Jerusalem was denied by secular theorists, because the Assyrians made no mention of it. But then it was found that Berosus and Herodotus both state that Sennacherib's military campaign in Judea ended in plague and defeat. It should not surprise us that the Assyrians themselves didn't record their own losses.

It is only the Hebrew Bible, because of its Divine origin, that exposes the faults of its own people and even magnifies them.

In no other religious text can one find such openness. None of the Israelites were immune to strong criticism: Abraham (Genesis 16:5), Reuben (Gen.ch.35), Simeon and Levi (Gen.ch.34 and 49), Judah (Gen.ch.38), Joseph's brothers (Gen.ch.37), Moses (Numbers ch.20), Aaron (Exodus 32:2-4), Samson (Judges 14:1-3), Eli's sons (1 Samuel 2:12), Samuel's sons (1 Samuel 8:1-3), Saul (1 Samuel ch.15), David (2 Samuel ch.11-12), Solomon (1 Kings ch.11), and many others.

See also the Related Links.

Link: Is the Hebrew Bible accurate?

Link: Moses was a real person

Answer 8

Yes, in Genesis ch.15.