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Yes. If as is popularly supposed, the Book of Exodus was written by Moses himself during the Exodus from Egypt, then it must have occurred at just about the time that the biblical record says that it was. If the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) was written much later than is popularly believed, it places both its authorship and historical background in doubt.

The Bible makes it fairly clear from the genealogical lists that the Exodus from Egypt occurred approximately 1440 BCE and that by 1400 BCE the Israelites were swarming across the Jordan River to conquer and destroy all the Canaanite cities in their path. Yet archaeologists see no significant change in the size or makeup of the population of the Palestinian hinterland until around 1250 BCE, when there seems to have been a peaceful influx of people.

The Amarna tablets, which date from the mid-fourteenth century, contain many letters from Egyptian officials and local princes all over Palestine, addressed to their Egyptian overlord. The local princes were busy with squabbling and infighting, but there was no mention of a new military power that had either settled in Palestine or was seeking dominion over their cities. This is convincing proof that Palestine and Syria (Damascus) were under Canaanite rule, subject to Egyptian military control, long after the supposed conquest of Palestine.

The Israelite arrival in Palestine was much later than the biblical account suggests and archaeologists say that there does not seem to have any military conquest. Moreover, Israel Finkelstein says that over ninety per cent of scholars do not believe that there was an Exodus from Egypt as described in the Bible. The Pentateuch now has to be understood in the knowledge that much, if not all, of it must have been legend.

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Why OT books are divided in 5 divisions?

The Old Testament books are divided into 5 divisions based on the type of literature they contain: the Pentateuch (historical and legal books), the Historical Books, the Poetic Books, the Major Prophets, and the Minor Prophets. This division helps to organize the diverse content of the Old Testament and make it more accessible for study and understanding.


The father of John of Patmos is?

It is not definitively known who the father of John of Patmos was, as there is limited historical information available about his personal life and background.


How does Deuteronomy serve as a bridge between the Pentateuch and the historical books?

A:We only need to look at what biblical scholars regard as the history of the Pentateuch and the biblical Books of History to understand the position that the Book of Deuteronomy has in regard to both groups of books. We all know that the Book of Deuteronomy is one of the five books that form the Pentateuch. In fact the name Deuteronomy means 'Second Law", a reference to laws described here and elsewhere in the Pentateuch. Scholars have also established that the author of Deuteronomy also wote the group of books known as the Deuteronomic History - Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings. Although traditionally regarded as having been written over a period of many centuries by different authors in different times and even different cultures, they actually form a well-integrated set of works that are, in large part, by the same hand. This is the same hand that also wrote the Book of Deuteronomy, making it a bridge between the stories of the Pentateuch and those of the History.Although Deuteronomy is traditionally regarded as having been written well before the books of history, Deuteronomy 34:10 tells us that this book was actually written long after the establishment of the nation of Israel, when it says, "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses ..." The books of history follow in the order of the chronology they relate.


Did Saint Stephen have siblings?

There is nothing in scripture nor in tradition that allows that question to be answered. Virtually nothing is known about Saint Valentine and for this reason he was removed from the Calendar of Saints in 1969.


Why is st Christopher not considered a saint anymore?

St. Christopher is still considered a saint in the Catholic Church and many other Christian denominations. There was confusion in the past due to lack of historical evidence about his existence, but he is still venerated as a saint.

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