"From the standpoint of military architecture the defensive works of Jericho at this time were unparalleled...The whole system was destroyed 1600 B.C. by a general conflagration…accompanied also by local fires which completely charred and cracked the bricks….The indications are those of earthquake…there remains no doubt: the walls fell outwards so completely that the attackers would be able to clamber up and over the ruins into the city."A country of mainly Nomads would have no need for a fortified city such as Jericho.

The cities of the plain, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar,were also mentioned in the Ebla tablets.These cities were mentioned in Genesis 14:2,Texts from Mari give an account of an affilitiation of Kings also mentioned in Genesis 14.According to the texts,they were entering Canaan and stealing as well as taking slaves.It is not just the names of Abraham's relatives which fit the correct context as described in Genesis. For example, Genesis 14 mentions a coalition of kings which fought against Abraham and his allies. Among them is Kedorlaomer, king of Elam. At first, it may seem unlikely that Kedorlaomer would be involved in a campaign in Palestine, as Elam is very far from Palestine. Yet, the name Kedorlaomer has been found in ancient Elamite inscriptions. Could someone making up a story hundreds of years later have known that Kedorlaomer was the name of a ruler in Elam? Hittite texts also mentions a Tudhaliya.which the Bible calls Tidal,King of nations.Nomads of the 11th century would not have known that the Hittites, were a dominate force during the age of Abraham.

   Gibeon, the modern Arab village of el-Jib, was first occupied in the Middle Bronze Age I as evidenced mainly by its cemetery.The Egyptian records from the reign of the Egyptian pharoah Senworset III indicate that Shechem was an important city state during the Middle Bronze Age (1900 - 1550 BC).

The area Abraham settled in would have had a population of a few hundred thousand,rather than a few hundred.It was on a trade route between Egypt and Syria,and had indeed been trading with Ebla.Not all the inhabitants were nomads.The tablets also mentioned the names of Semitic peoples,one of which was a King Ibrium(Abram) Nomads would not have known about the political scene,nor would Nomads from south Canaan have known about the Hittites.

  The Phillistines,according to Egyptian and Biblical records came from Crete.They came to Crete from the Greek Isles one of which was Thera.In more ancient times it was known as Killiste,and the inhabitants were trading with Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean as early as 6,000 b.c.Killiste was a volcanic island,and past eruptions had prompted the inhabitants to search for other lands.Crete,whose inhabitants were called Kieftu by the Egyptians had also suffered eruptions.The Killistians began settling the coast,which was to become their home.These,unlike the Kieftu were called Pilliset by the Egyptians,after their homeland of Killiste.They were friendly with Egypt at the time,aand some had already settled Egypt.What better place for them to settle than the Egyptian held Cannanite coast.

This isn't the only problem with the account of the Age of the Patriarchs, either. There's the problem of the camels. We know from archaeological evidence that camels weren't domesticated until about the late second millenium B.C.E., and that they weren't widely used as beasts of burden until about 1000 B.C.E. - long after the Age of the Patriarchs. And then there's the problem of the cargo carried by the camels - "gum, balm and myrrh," which were products of Arabia - and trade with Arabia didn't begin until the era of Assyrian hegemony in the region, beginning in the 8th century B.C.E.

According to archeologists,domesticated camels were present in Mesopotamia,long before the birth of Abraham.Drawings and texts have proven that. The drawings show camels laden with wares.The Sumerians were trading with the island of Dilmun,in the Persian gulf and the coast of India,as well as Oman before 3,000 b.c..They were familiar with the people of Arabia where their ancestors originated..Dilmun,in fact,was trading with Arabia.It is possible they learned to domesticate animals in Arabia.They may not have been widely used by other nations until 1000 b.c.,but the Sumerians were using them well before 2,000 b.c,the time history has given for the birth of Abraham.

Yet another problem is Jacob's marriage with Leah and Rachel, and his relationship with his uncle, Laban, all of whom are described as being Arameans. This ethnic group does not appear in the archeological record prior to 1100 B.C.E., and not a significant group until the 9th century B.C.E.

Although the name Aramian was not applied to people of the area, by historians,until 1100 b.c,the name had shown up in Kings names and titles.Naram- Suen,comes from Aram,as does the name Aram-Sin.The Aramites gave rise to the Amorites.Although they left behind little evidencebefore 1100.b.c.there is enough to know of their existence.Many historians agree that the Aramians were the fore runners of the Syrians,not the other way around”In about 4000 B.C the whole city in that area was founded by Aramians...The Ancient Grand parent of the Syrians...

Then in about 2000 B.C Archeologists found the city ruins of Houthians...Later Ancient Grand Parent of the Syrians”It was

.Naram Sin that destroyed Ebla He also destroyed Arman, which may have been an ancient name for Aleppo.

The names Naram and Aram leave little doubt that the name Aram was in use long before the Assyrians came into power.

The fact is that with all that is known of Egyptian history from this time (since scholars can now read the records of ancient Egyptians with the ease of a modern newspaper), and the fact that the history of Egypt in this period is well documented

   That never was excepted as truth.Written records have shown up mostly in graves,since the desert leaves little trace of  destructable material.Egypt did not document every event,and in most cases either left out or doctored those that would show embarrasment.Monuments have been changed by successors to appear as if they constructed them rather than their predecessors.Ramesses the Great did that on a large enough scale to have been dubed the "great chiseler",by archeologists.

Much of the Egyptian records come from Upper(southern) Egypt,several hundred miles from the Nile Delta.Scribes,who wrote for the Palace,could only write about what they witnessed.The palaces were never in the nile delta,except during the Hyksos period.The truth is that Egyptian records,that extend throughout Egypt were sparse.Written records seldom survived long in the desert.Inscriptions were normally done on monuments which were erected for Nobles.In many cases,archeologists have had problems placing events within their proper time period.History has shown the presence of “Asiatics”in Egypt from

2500 b.c.They were entering Egypt to escape drought.Many settled in Egypt.By the time of Abraham,the area of Keshem(Goshen)already had a sizable Semitic population.The Egyptians were familiar with the Hapiru,as well as other Semites.

It is quite clear from the archaeological record, as well, that there never was a "wandering in the desert for 40 years," either. Extensive archaeological surveys of the Sanai desert have never shown any encampments dating from the time of the Exodus, either before, during or after the time of the Ramsean pharoahs. Finkelstein and Silberman point out that there is still no evidence for the existence of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Lot, Moses, and Joshua. There is no evidence that Jewish people existed as an identified people that were enslaved in Egypt. There is no evidence that over 600,000 men (plus women and children - the number could have been over a million) had an exodus from Egypt and wandered in the desert for 40 years. According to the Bible, 38 of these 40 years were actually spent encamped at Kadesh-barnea. This area has been turned upside down for decades, looking for even a tiny piece of pottery from this supposed time. It is not likely that this many people would have lived here this long and not left archeological evidence.

  As stated above,the desert leaves little evidence,especially of a group that lives in tents,regardless of the size of the group.Archeologists have found little evidence of any settlement in the Eastern Desert,during that time.They do believe the Egyptian records telling of raids into the desert,and the destruction of walled cities.Tablets from Ebla tell of a Negev army.The tablets could not have been written later than 2300 b.c,yet there is no evidence of any large settlement there that can be dated from that time.Traces of encampments would have disappeared within a short period of time.Without close observation,archeologists would not have known there was abundant plant life in the eastern desert at one time.The Sinia rock inscriptions tell a different story of desert wanderers.The inscriptions are similiar to the plaques in Exodus,and are dated around the time the Israelites would have been there.It is inscribed with Egyptian and Hebrew writing.That in itself does not prove the Exodus,but it does prove that there were Hebrews in the desert at that time.The Israelites never stayed long in one place until they reached Moab.They would have left little trace behind,especially having had traversed the entire desert in only two years.They had no reason to build permanent structures,which would have had a better chance of surviving in the desert.As history has shown,not even permenant structures could last long.Since pottery took some time to make,it is doubtful much of it would have been left behind.Pottery is seldom found in any location of short inhabitation.

   There are verses in the Bible that noone would have known without spending time in the wilderness.One of those is the ability to “suck honey and oil from the rocks”.That is done by arranging stones in a fashion so as to collect enough dew to water grapes(honey) and olives(oil).The Hebrews also learned that a certain type of wood could be used to take the bitterness out of well water.Had they not been in the desert,they would not have known that it is possible to get water from the rocks,by stricking the stones and knocking away the crust.In some cases the water would gush forth.It is possible that these things were taught to them by Moses,who had spent 40 years in the same desert.

   It is difficult for historians to believe a group traveled the desert with enough people to have had 600,000 men.Thjey point out that would have equaled about a million people.They have no trouble believing the Hyksos left Egypt with over 4000,000 households.That would equal about the same,considering each household had to have at least two people.There is no guarantee that each fighting man of the Israelites was part of a family and could account for two.

Jeremiah's message was that God is dependent on man to carry out his wishes in the world, a view very much in contrast to the writers of Exodus, who had Yahweh being a powerful, independent and even capricious god. And Jeremiah warns that only following the dictates of God would keep the newly ascendant Babylonians at bay. But it was not enough. He predicted that Babylon would conquer Palestine and the occupants of that land would spend 70 years in captivity by the rivers of Babylon. Well, the captivity happened, but it didn't last 70 years. We know from secular sources that it actually lasted from 586 to 538 B.C.E., a period of only 48 years.

Although God had been portrayed as independent,He had used Man to carry out His mission in the past.Two of the best known were Noah and Moses. Anyone familiar with history and the Bible would know that Jeremiah prophesied that the desolation of Jerusalem would last 70 years.The Temple was destroyed in 586 b.c.,as stated above.Although a few people began returning to Jerusalem,earlier,the Temple was not rebuilt until 516.b.c,a period of 70 years.The desolation did not end until the Temple was rebuilt and the Sabbaths could be held again,which was part of Jeremiah's prophecy.The largest portion of Jews did not return until then.Only a handful had returned on the first and second trip.In reality they were not captives,but the majority did not leave Babylon until the Temple was completed.If one is to figure dates according to when the first group returned,we must figure from the date the first group was taken,which was in 605 b.c.which would have made the capitivity 68 years.