The Exodus Decoded

The Exodus Decoded

DVD cover art
Genre Documentary
Religion
Created by Simcha Jacobovici
James Cameron
Written by Simcha Jacobovici
Directed by Simcha Jacobovici
Country of origin Canada
Egypt
Greece
Original language(s) English
Production
Producer(s) James Cameron
Running time 92 minutes
Distributor A&E Television Networks
NewVideo
Release
Original network The History Channel
Original release
  • April 16, 2006 (2006-04-16) (location)

The Exodus Decoded is a documentary film aired on April 16, 2006, on The History Channel. The program was created by Israeli-Canadian filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici and the producer/director James Cameron. (The two would later work together on The Lost Tomb of Jesus.) The documentary explores evidence for the Biblical account of the Exodus. Its claims and methods were criticized by Biblical scholars and mainstream scientists.[1][2][3][4]

Jacobovici suggests that the Exodus took place around 1500 BC, during the reign of pharaoh Ahmose I, and that it coincided with the Minoan eruption. In the documentary, the plagues that ravaged Egypt in the Bible are explained as having resulted from that eruption and a related limnic eruption in the Nile Delta, similar to what occurred in the 1980s at Lake Nyos in Cameroon. While much of Jacobovici's archaeological evidence for the Exodus comes from Egypt, some comes from Mycenae on mainland Greece, such as a gold ornament that somewhat resembles the Ark of the Covenant.

The documentary makes extensive use of computer animation and visual effects made by Gravity Visual Effects, Inc., based in Toronto. It runs for 90 minutes and was first aired in Canada on April 16, (Easter Day) 2006 (Discovery Channel Canada). Shown in the US on August 20, 2006 (History Channel US), UK on December 23, 2006 (Discovery Channel UK), Spain on December 25, 2006 (Cuatro) and Israel on April 3, 2007 (Channel 2).[5]

Jacobovici's arguments

Egyptian

Mycenaean

Theology

The documentary claims that most historians consider the Exodus a "fairy tale," and it also claims that others reject scientific explanations that are not explicitly miraculous. Jacobovici reminds viewers that God, according to the Judeo-Christian description, manipulates nature, having an intimate understanding of it. His miracles may therefore be an efficient and timely exploitation of natural cycles and logic. The documentary ends by posing the question of whether the Exodus was just a natural event or "the Hand of God," implying that it is for the viewer to decide.

Credibility

Jacobovici's assertions have been criticized inter alia by Dr Chris Heard of the Pepperdine University. Based on the already existing literature, the criticism addresses each of Jacobovici's claims, as well as his methods in general, including:

In his review of the documentary, Dr. Ronald Hendel, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.[25] writes:

"The made-for-TV documentary, The Exodus Decoded, begins with some excellent special effects and a short excerpt from the Steven Spielberg-George Lucas thriller, Raiders of the Lost Ark. This introduction sets the stage for a fast-paced show with high production values and dramatic footage. Unfortunately, unlike the Indiana Jones movie, this film presents itself as non-fiction. Watching it is reminiscent of an expensive infomercial, in which the actor-salesman makes increasingly exaggerated claims for his product—it makes you lose weight, adds muscle, and makes you rich to boot. In this case, the actor-director is selling a highly dubious bundle of theories about the historical and scientific veracity of the Biblical Exodus."[3]

See also

References

External links

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