How many Hebrews started from Egypt in the Exodus and how many were allowed by God to step in the Promised Land?

Answer 1

It has been reported that almost all biblical scholars now agree that there never was an Exodus from Egypt, nor a military conquest of Canaan as described in The Bible. The historical answer is therefore that no Hebrews started out from Egypt or entered the Promised Land after forty years in the wilderness.

However, Exodus does say that approximately six hundred thousand fighting men left Egypt. Numbers goes to considerable lengths to demonstrate this figure, and furthermore says that almost exactly the same number entered the Promised Land forty years later. It has been estimated that 600,000 fighting men would be equivalent to a total population of at least two and a half million people, including priests, women, children and the elderly. This is both the number supposed to have left Egypt and to have entered the Promised Land. As none of those who left Egypt would be permitted to enter th Promised Land (except Joshua and Caleb), then many millions more must have been born, died and were buried in the wilderness.