WHO WAS MOSES?

• Author: ROTHENBERG, ROBERT S.
• Position: Review

WHO WAS MOSES? TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT 50 MINUTES, $14.98

How much of the Bible is fact and how much is fiction? The debate has gone on for centuries among historians, theologians, and archaeologists, but only recently have artifacts been unearthed to help authenticate some of the more contentious areas of dispute. The story of Moses leading the Hebrews out of Egypt, as told in Exodus, has been under much scrutiny, with a number of elements--such as the 10 plagues and the parting of the Red Sea in particular--defying scientific logic and being dismissed as myths. Now, however, archaeological finds in the Negev Desert and Egypt are beginning to lend credence to the legend.

As American archaeologist Tom Hodgkins explains, backed with hard, meteorological evidence, the plagues likely can be attributed to conditions stemming from the annual flooding of the Nile River. Meanwhile, the parting of the Red Sea may have been the offshoot of a massive volcanic eruption on the Greek island of Santorini that triggered a monstrous tidal wave. As the water receded in its wake, the seabed was exposed, a condition that was reproduced on a...