The Basis Behind The Biblical Story Of The Exodus

There are many theories that attempt to explain the basis behind the biblical story of the Exodus. Most use archeological evidence to try and explain what the biblical story is based off of, or if it is rooted in fact. There is a fairly new theory that attempts to explain the lack of archaeological evidence of the Exodus spoken of in the Old Testament or Torah. This theory is that the Canaanites were the Israelites, or became the Israelites, and there was no Exodus, or conquering of the land of Canaan by the Joshua and his people. This theory is not entirely inaccurate, but does not seem plausible because of other archaeological evidences supporting other theories of the Exodus.
Most educated persons and historians agree that the stories in
There are many theories for the stories of the Israelites conquest/immigration to the land of Canaan. Yet a new one, even more radical, and critical of the bible, states that the Israelites were a group of Canaanites. This theory is spearheaded by Israel Finkelstein, Professor of Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations, at Tel Aviv University. Finkelstein is a biblical critic, believing that the most events in the bible did not happen as described. One of his counter theories was this idea that because of isolation, a small group of Canaanite nomads and farmers became the original Israelites, and that there was no conquest of Canaan, or Exodus from Egypt. Despite various archaeological digs and artifacts, there are some major holes in his argument, and although the Exodus and conquest of Canaan may not have happened the way it is told in the Bible, other evidence is
One of the most fascinating points from this theory, is that the idea of the one all powerful god is not seen in any other region of the world. Finkelstein’s theory is undermined greatly in that he cannot explain where the notion of only one god comes from, or how it is either planted or developed in the Israelite-to-be culture. On top of that, the Canaanite culture is said to have not only be a polytheistic religion, but also believed in sacred prostitutes/priestesses (who were ceremonially impregnated by the men of the society), which seems quite far fetched from the biblical notion that you should not desire thy neighbor's wife, and one should not commit adultery. Where does this three hundred and sixty turnaround in values come from? Why do the Canaanites suddenly start to believe in only one all powerful god, when the rest of the world believes in various polytheistic religions. Because these major questions cannot be answered by Finkelstein’s theory, it does not seem like a plausible