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Christianity

Q&A for committed Christians, experts in Christianity and those interested in learning more

Latest Questions

3 votes
3 answers
625 views
Why did God choose Moses to save Israelites who were enslaved?
It was mentioned in Exodus that God has granted Moses abilities such as turning his staff into a snake and turning the water of the Nile into blood in order to make the people believe he was sent by God. Why had God not by himself saved the Israelites from slavery? Why did he not talk to them? “But...
It was mentioned in Exodus that God has granted Moses abilities such as turning his staff into a snake and turning the water of the Nile into blood in order to make the people believe he was sent by God. Why had God not by himself saved the Israelites from slavery? Why did he not talk to them? “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt,” why did God harden pharaohs heart and torment the Israelites more?
Will Of D (33 rep)
Aug 10, 2025, 07:17 AM • Last activity: Aug 11, 2025, 02:38 PM
3 votes
1 answers
271 views
Do We Know with Reasonable Certainty Where Goshen was Located?
It is my understanding that after Joseph presented Jacob to Pharaoh, the king gave the Hebrews (Jacob and the rest of his party) some very fertile land (Goshen) in which to dwell by themselves. It seems that Egyptians held people who were shepherds in abomimation. QUESTION: Do we have a good idea of...
It is my understanding that after Joseph presented Jacob to Pharaoh, the king gave the Hebrews (Jacob and the rest of his party) some very fertile land (Goshen) in which to dwell by themselves. It seems that Egyptians held people who were shepherds in abomimation. QUESTION: Do we have a good idea of where exactly Goshen was located; or is the exact site pretty much conjecture?
DDS (3256 rep)
Aug 25, 2023, 07:46 PM • Last activity: Apr 29, 2025, 01:42 PM
32 votes
7 answers
304347 views
Who was Pharaoh when Moses lived in Egypt?
Do we have a good idea as to which Pharaoh(s) were around during the time of Moses' life? What internal and external evidence exists to back up those claims? Do any Christian traditions attach any significance to correlating the events of Moses' life to the reign of a specific Pharaoh? The movie *[T...
Do we have a good idea as to which Pharaoh(s) were around during the time of Moses' life? What internal and external evidence exists to back up those claims? Do any Christian traditions attach any significance to correlating the events of Moses' life to the reign of a specific Pharaoh? The movie *The Prince of Egypt * mentions Ramses as the name of Moses' adoptive mother's son (and the future Pharaoh, both when Moses kills the Egyptian at 40 and when he returns to Egypt when he is 80), but I don't know what the basis is for this claim.
tunmise fashipe (2393 rep)
Sep 7, 2012, 11:21 AM • Last activity: Mar 15, 2025, 11:03 AM
8 votes
7 answers
1821 views
Is there extra-biblical evidence for the Exodus?
I've heard from multiple sources that there isn't even the slightest of (extra-biblical) evidence of the Exodus story or even evidence for the presence of Israelites in Egypt. If this is true, why is this and how do Christians get over this lack of evidence? If this isn't necessarily true, what extr...
I've heard from multiple sources that there isn't even the slightest of (extra-biblical) evidence of the Exodus story or even evidence for the presence of Israelites in Egypt. If this is true, why is this and how do Christians get over this lack of evidence? If this isn't necessarily true, what extra-biblical evidence is there of Israelites being enslaved, escaping, and wandering in the desert for 40 years?
Cam White (209 rep)
Jul 5, 2020, 08:21 PM • Last activity: Oct 25, 2024, 12:46 PM
-4 votes
1 answers
59 views
Did Jehovah transform the firstborns of Egypt into cats?
Many of the plagues God sent upon the Egyptians involved crazy miracles like turning the Nile into blood or turning sand into gnats. Are there any interpretations that say that the final curse (death of the firstborn) involved the firstborn sons of Egypt being transformed into cats? Is it possible t...
Many of the plagues God sent upon the Egyptians involved crazy miracles like turning the Nile into blood or turning sand into gnats. Are there any interpretations that say that the final curse (death of the firstborn) involved the firstborn sons of Egypt being transformed into cats? Is it possible to interpret the Hebrew verb "to slay" as "to turn into an animal"? It's not inconsistent with the rest of the plagues of Egypt, and the Egyptians were known for worshipping cats after all...
ArtIntoNihonjin. (599 rep)
Aug 4, 2024, 09:59 AM • Last activity: Aug 4, 2024, 02:05 PM
5 votes
1 answers
924 views
Does anyone know the name of the pharaoh that Joseph brought his family to meet?
**Jacob and his house of 70** [Jacob in Egypt, Wikipedia][1] According to Wikipedia, Jacob brought 70 people to an Egyptian pharaoh. > Israel and his entire house of 70, gathered up with all their livestock and began their journey to Egypt. > The time had come for Joseph's family to personally meet...
**Jacob and his house of 70** Jacob in Egypt, Wikipedia According to Wikipedia, Jacob brought 70 people to an Egyptian pharaoh. > Israel and his entire house of 70, gathered up with all their livestock and began their journey to Egypt. > The time had come for Joseph's family to personally meet the Pharaoh of Egypt. - **Userkaf** Userkaf, Wikipedia Now, based upon this little information regards to the 70 people, I made some efforts myself to find out who this pharaoh might be, and I came across a pharaoh named Userkaf who it is claimed had a chieftain lead 70 women to him, most likely from Canaan. > Userkaf, trade & military activities, Wikipedia > > South of Egypt, Userkaf launched a military expedition into Nubia, while the Old Kingdom annals record that he received tribute from a region that is either the Eastern Desert or Canaan in the form of a workforce of one chieftain and 70 foreigners (likely women), as well as 303 "pacified rebels" destined to work on Userkaf's pyramid. Ovedc, for photograph So based upon this, is the reason I am asking. If the pharaoh was not Userkaf, Does anyone know which Egyptian pharaoh it was, or would have been?
John Strachan (319 rep)
Feb 24, 2021, 03:17 PM • Last activity: Jul 15, 2024, 08:20 AM
2 votes
0 answers
144 views
Do any Christian groups today have esoteric teachings about the Great Pyramid of Giza?
Charles Taze Russel, the founder of the 19th century Bible Students movement that eventually become the Jehovah's Witnesses, taught extensively that the [Great Pyramid of Giza had esoteric meaning relevant to Christians and even that the Pyramid had been built under divine influence](https://archive...
Charles Taze Russel, the founder of the 19th century Bible Students movement that eventually become the Jehovah's Witnesses, taught extensively that the [Great Pyramid of Giza had esoteric meaning relevant to Christians and even that the Pyramid had been built under divine influence](https://archive.org/details/TheDivinePlanOfTheAgesAndTheGreatPyramid) . The Jehovah's Witnesses [no longer teach this, but do admit that the Great Pyramid may have been built using astrological lore that Christians should not have anything to do with](https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1956362) . There has been some speculation that the Great Pyramid and/or the Pyramids in general were built by Joseph as grain silos, but [this idea doesn't seem to be official teaching in any church](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/a/44965/31636) . Are there any Christian groups today, in the 21st century, that have specific teachings on the relevance of the Great Pyramid to Christians or believers in the Christian Bible? By specific teachings, I'm not referring to the belief that it exists (it obviously does), but that it has some esoteric or other special meaning that is not found in modern-day academic Egyptology. This would include, for example, teachings on any of the following: 1) That the Great Pyramid was built on divine command or by intervention of God or other creatures of God mentioned in the Bible such as angels or the Nephilim. 2) That the Great Pyramid was, or is, a temple to God (i.e. as opposed to a pagan deity or deified pagan ruler). 3) That the Great Pyramid had some specific relevance to the Old Testament Antediluvians, Patriarchs, or Israelites (e.g. that it was built by Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, or some other Biblical figure for some specific purpose that just happens to have not been made crystal clear in the extant Biblical texts). 4) That the Great Pyramid contains hidden messages for Christians. 5) That the Great Pyramid has some other specific relevance to ancient and/or modern believers beyond simply being a cool ancient building. Discussion: *To be clear*, I'm not asking for links to texts on 19th century or later Pyramidology or other forms of what is considered today to be fringe archaeology. Those are easy to find. Obviously, many Pyramidologists are and have been Christians, but I'm asking about churches that have formal teachings in the way that the Bible Students did, not about what individual Christians believe or believed. While I have read some of the works of Ron Wyatt, a famous fringe archaeologist and Seventh-Day Adventist who claimed to have made many fantastic discoveries in the Middle East, neither his findings nor his conclusions seem to have been accepted by any church, even his own. To make an analogy, there may well be a Christian artist out there who painted Methuselah as a ginger, but that doesn't mean that any Christian church, sect, community, order, or other type of group officially teaches that Methuselah was ginger or that his being ginger had any specific spiritual or doctrinal effect. The reason *why* a particular church would have teachings on this would be interesting, but would not directly affect whether a teaching counts. The teaching could be based on any combination of Biblical exegesis, archaeology, ancient traditions or claims of ancient tradition, modern-day prophesy by or direct revelation to leaders (for churches that believe in such), or extra-Biblical or apocryphal texts. Obviously science-fiction or fantasy stories that include mystical or fantastical teachings on the Pyramid or Egyptian pyramids in general, such as the Stargate franchise, are *right out*. Those are interesting stories but are not religion, even though they often reference religion or include religious content.
Robert Columbia (989 rep)
Jun 15, 2024, 02:18 AM • Last activity: Jun 15, 2024, 01:41 PM
1 votes
1 answers
211 views
The plagues of egypt
I've been told that each of the plagues that God brought upon Egypt corresponded to a different Egyptian god. That is to say, to mock that particular god. For example, heqet, the goddess of fertility, who had the head of a frog, corresponded to the plague of frogs [tzef'ardeya]. What is the source o...
I've been told that each of the plagues that God brought upon Egypt corresponded to a different Egyptian god. That is to say, to mock that particular god. For example, heqet, the goddess of fertility, who had the head of a frog, corresponded to the plague of frogs [tzef'ardeya]. What is the source of this concept ?
Shababnik (113 rep)
Jan 6, 2024, 11:53 PM • Last activity: Jan 8, 2024, 04:48 PM
2 votes
3 answers
708 views
Did Israelites ever think that Egyptian gods were part of Yahweh's heavenly/divine council?
I came across an article that described how Dr. Michael Heiser shows that sections of scripture such as Psalm 82 talk about the Hebrew God as the head of a divine council of elohim, i.e. gods. So did the Israelites once believe that the Egyptian gods were part of that council? or was it just limited...
I came across an article that described how Dr. Michael Heiser shows that sections of scripture such as Psalm 82 talk about the Hebrew God as the head of a divine council of elohim, i.e. gods. So did the Israelites once believe that the Egyptian gods were part of that council? or was it just limited to Mesopotamian deities?
Traildude (292 rep)
Dec 27, 2023, 08:16 PM • Last activity: Dec 30, 2023, 12:53 PM
1 votes
2 answers
145 views
When Did Israel First Expect Deliverance from Egypt?
When one watches the 1955 epic, *The Ten Commandments,* one gets the impression that enslaved Israel had been expecting God to send a deliverer for four hundred years. Is this true? A promise is given by God in Ex. 3,17: > And I have said the word to bring you forth out of the affliction of Egypt, i...
When one watches the 1955 epic, *The Ten Commandments,* one gets the impression that enslaved Israel had been expecting God to send a deliverer for four hundred years. Is this true? A promise is given by God in Ex. 3,17: > And I have said the word to bring you forth out of the affliction of Egypt, into the land of the Chanaanite, the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and Hevite, and Jebusite, to a land that floweth with milk and honey. (Douay-Rheims) But there, God is already speaking to Moses. When and where is Israel's deliverance from Egypt first prophesied? Had they been expecting a deliverer for four hundred years?
DDS (3256 rep)
Aug 23, 2023, 02:19 PM • Last activity: Aug 25, 2023, 02:32 PM
2 votes
2 answers
5424 views
Why do ancient Egyptian records make no mention of the Crossing of the Red Sea narrative?
There is [ancient Egyptian papyri][1] dating back to the 26th century BCE. The ancient Egyptians have records of biographies, drawings: cartoons, maps, books of the dead, literary texts, tales, poems, official records, private papyri, correspondence, contracts, religious texts, myths, science: mathe...
There is ancient Egyptian papyri dating back to the 26th century BCE. The ancient Egyptians have records of biographies, drawings: cartoons, maps, books of the dead, literary texts, tales, poems, official records, private papyri, correspondence, contracts, religious texts, myths, science: mathematics, medical texts, teachings, instructions, and wordlists. Yet despite all this, ancient Egyptian records make no mention of the Crossing of the Red Sea narrative. From Abraham to Moses the ancient Egyptian records make no mention. One of the only mentions in ancient Egyptian records of foreign people being chased out of ancient Egypt comes from the Hyksos , not Israelites. Nowhere do they mention a parting of the Red Sea, and the closest we come to the name Moses comes from Ahmose I , his brother Kamose , and decorated ancient Egyptian war hero Ahmose, son of Ebana . But they were all ancient Egyptian heroes. Not Israelite heroes. Surely the ancient Egyptians would have recorded something of this magnitude?
John Strachan (319 rep)
Sep 3, 2022, 02:00 PM • Last activity: Sep 10, 2022, 03:47 AM
1 votes
2 answers
3339 views
Is Ezekiel 29 a failed prophecy?
> Ezekiel 29:13-15 KJV [13] Yet thus saith the Lord God ; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered: [14] And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation;...
> Ezekiel 29:13-15 KJV Yet thus saith the Lord God ; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered: And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom. It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations. Above are verses from Ezekiel 29. He’s prophesying the destruction and desolation of Egypt apparently by Nebuchadnezzar 2nd. In the prophecy Ezekiel states that the Egyptians will be carried away and the land will be desolate for forty years. After this period they’ll return but will be henceforth a lowly kingdom. I can be convinced of the forty year captivity period to a point. Nebuchadnezzar was known to carry away and enslave citizens of places he’d conquered. And the period between his unsuccessful invasion of Egypt and Cyrus the Great’s edict to release those of whom had been enslaved by the Babylonians was roughly 40 years. However, what seems obviously wrong about this prophecy is the aftermath of the 40 years and return of the Egyptian captives: the kingdom of Egypt forever becoming a “base kingdom”. Egypt as a “kingdom” was never a lowly kingdom afterwards and it did rule over other nations, particularly the Ptolemaic Empire. One might say “This prophecy concerns the Egyptian people, whereas the Ptolemaic Empire was *Greek*.” However Ezekiel says Egypt will become a lowly **kingdom** not ‘nation’ or ‘people’, clearly meaning, I presume, the country. It seems to me that this part of the prophecy completely fails. Others then might suggest that this whole prophecy is one yet to be fulfilled but I personally see no indication of that in the text. With the frequent mentioning of Nebuchadnezzar it seems clear to me personally that chapter 29 refers to his unsuccessful invasion of Egypt. Can anyone who is familiar with this prophecy shed some more light on it. I’m assuming there is something I have missed.
user329957 (356 rep)
Aug 31, 2021, 11:26 AM • Last activity: Aug 31, 2021, 10:01 PM
0 votes
1 answers
75 views
How does Christianity traditionally explain the need to subject the Israelites to slavery in Egypt?
In Genesis 15:13 God said to Abraham: > "Know for certain that for four hundred > years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own > and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there." (NIV) These words were spoken around 200 years before Israelites arrived at Egypt. Why was ens...
In Genesis 15:13 God said to Abraham: > "Know for certain that for four hundred > years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own > and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there." (NIV) These words were spoken around 200 years before Israelites arrived at Egypt. Why was enslavement of Israelites in God's plan in the first place? Why was it necessary for God to put Abraham's descendants through this ordeal? How is this matter explained in RCC, EOC and main-stream Protestantism?
brilliant (10250 rep)
Aug 16, 2021, 02:30 PM • Last activity: Aug 16, 2021, 03:24 PM
1 votes
1 answers
213 views
What does the Bible say about Egypt aside from the story of Moses in Exodus?
I am fascinated with ancient civilizations and the civilization that leaves me with the MOST questions is Ancient Egypt. Like many ancient cultures, the Egyptians were very advanced(construction, writing, navigation, astronomy). I remember being at church once, and the preacher was telling the story...
I am fascinated with ancient civilizations and the civilization that leaves me with the MOST questions is Ancient Egypt. Like many ancient cultures, the Egyptians were very advanced(construction, writing, navigation, astronomy). I remember being at church once, and the preacher was telling the story of the Exile. While the Egyptians decided to go after Moses( after he parted the sea ) one of the Pharoah's servants said, "They've got God on their side! We must turn back!" We all know that the Pharoah pushed forward, leading to the death of him and his men. My question is about the servant's comment. Were the Egyptians fully aware of the existence of the Christian (at the time Hebrew) God, yet **actively** go against him and live life worshipping their own deities? How were the Egyptians able to build the most amazing structure on the planet without(or even "actively **against**") God? Does the Bible shed any light on these ancient "slave-drivers" ?
QuestionAsker (21 rep)
Mar 3, 2020, 02:28 AM • Last activity: Mar 3, 2020, 07:15 PM
4 votes
1 answers
2158 views
Has the Bible ever been translated into Egyptian Hieroglyphics?
I'm very curious to see what the Bible looks like in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. There's an "ancient languages" department at one of the Universities in my city and one of the languages they offer is Egyptian hieroglyphics. When I'm learning a new language I like to refer back to a translation o...
I'm very curious to see what the Bible looks like in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. There's an "ancient languages" department at one of the Universities in my city and one of the languages they offer is Egyptian hieroglyphics. When I'm learning a new language I like to refer back to a translation of the Bible into that language so that I can see how a text that I'm familiar with is translated in the language that I'm trying to learn. I've done a bit of Googling and nothing has turned up. I'm sort of surprised that a hieroglyphics translation hasn't been done, even if just as an academic exercise. I'm not even expecting a full translation. Perhaps just one of the Gospels, or the Psalms, or the Pentateuch. I understand that there wouldn't be much demand for such a translation, but nevertheless I'm surprised it hasn't happened. Perhaps we don't understand hieroglyphics well enough?
TheIronKnuckle (2897 rep)
Mar 13, 2017, 05:55 AM • Last activity: Nov 19, 2019, 09:59 AM
9 votes
3 answers
14366 views
How can I understand the rise of the Egyptians as a race in the Old Testament?
The Old Testament states that God created the world and God created man. We see the lineage of Adam and Eve, to Abraham, and so forth while the Hebrew nation is created. Then, seemingly from left field, the Egyptians appear, and they are considered evil because they are worshiping multiple Gods and...
The Old Testament states that God created the world and God created man. We see the lineage of Adam and Eve, to Abraham, and so forth while the Hebrew nation is created. Then, seemingly from left field, the Egyptians appear, and they are considered evil because they are worshiping multiple Gods and have enslaved the Hebrews, etc. This ultimately leads to the plague and the story of Moses leading the Hebrews out of Egypt. I am struggling with how to state this question, but here it goes: If God created all mankind, how did nations such as the Egyptians end up so far off course? Would they not have been descendants of Abraham as well? This does not seem to be covered by the Old Testament (much like the gap in Jesus' early years in the New Testament), so I am perplexed. It almost seems as though they evolved on a separate path. Can anyone point me to resources that would fill this gap? Or have I missed a critical passage in the Old Testament somewhere?
geoffmpm (349 rep)
Feb 9, 2012, 06:37 PM • Last activity: Sep 15, 2018, 05:44 PM
5 votes
1 answers
2921 views
What was the name of the Pharaoh during the time of Moses?
In the Bible it never mentions Pharaoh's name but every other king/queen is mentioned by name. Did I miss it? What's his name?
In the Bible it never mentions Pharaoh's name but every other king/queen is mentioned by name. Did I miss it? What's his name?
Daniel Offerman (195 rep)
Jul 24, 2017, 03:47 AM • Last activity: May 16, 2018, 02:31 AM
1 votes
1 answers
234 views
What was the early Coptic doctrine for beliefs in the afterlife?
I can find plenty of information regarding modern Coptic beliefs concerning beliefs in the afterlife, but I was wondering if that was always the same. I imagine, as with all religions, especially ones with such a long and rich history as the Copts, that theology has evolved over time. Hence, I was w...
I can find plenty of information regarding modern Coptic beliefs concerning beliefs in the afterlife, but I was wondering if that was always the same. I imagine, as with all religions, especially ones with such a long and rich history as the Copts, that theology has evolved over time. Hence, I was wondering **where I can go to find what the doctrine for beliefs in the afterlife were in late antiquity (ca. second to fifth centuries CE). Can someone point me in the right direction?**
Pills N Pillows (275 rep)
May 22, 2017, 12:22 AM • Last activity: Jun 12, 2017, 05:57 AM
1 votes
1 answers
1317 views
Alexander Helios disappearance-Scriptural Nephites?
According to [Wikipedia][1], Alexander Helios is the son of Cleopatra VII. He disappeared fleeing Egypt with his people (roughly 50,000) after being defeated by Octavian in 31 BC. His parents committed suicide after finding out about his disappearance. Alexander Helios was never found again. There a...
According to Wikipedia , Alexander Helios is the son of Cleopatra VII. He disappeared fleeing Egypt with his people (roughly 50,000) after being defeated by Octavian in 31 BC. His parents committed suicide after finding out about his disappearance. Alexander Helios was never found again. There are some theories that Egyptians came to America and left loads of treasure in the Grand Canyon. They carved out a cave that looking as if it could hold 50,000 men. There is also a theory that they had built a pyramid inside the grand canyon somewhere on the North Rim. Here is a LINK to a News Paper Article of past findings. The Nephites in the Book of Mormon are considered very Egyptian and CAME to America. Is there a possibility that Alexander's group of people were the Book of Mormon Nephites?
anonymous (215 rep)
Nov 24, 2015, 12:54 AM • Last activity: Jan 5, 2016, 09:41 PM
1 votes
1 answers
2757 views
According to the Catholic Church, what was the point of all the plagues?
Did God really have to do all those plagues in order to get Moses' people free? Did each plague have a particular purpose? I heard about a documentary or hypothesis that only first or first few plagues were intended and then the remaining plagues, except the last one, just occurred naturally. Even i...
Did God really have to do all those plagues in order to get Moses' people free? Did each plague have a particular purpose? I heard about a documentary or hypothesis that only first or first few plagues were intended and then the remaining plagues, except the last one, just occurred naturally. Even if we grant that all but the last plague were purposeful or natural, what was the point of killing innocent children, particularly the Pharaoh's son? Why not kill the Pharaoh and then have the son or regent rule and then have the next ruler of Egypt set Moses' people free? Why not send a bunch of angels to threaten the Pharaoh into releasing the Israelites or into offering fair wages? I doubt this is relevant to the problem of evil as God specifically intervenes in human affairs in Egypt. Why all the violence though? It seems to make sense that an omnipotent, omniscient, all-good being who would intervene in human affairs would want to do so with little bloodshed unless there's a specific lesson that the being wants to impart on the Egyptians or Israelites or something of the sort. Maybe the Israelites wouldn't have appreciated God's efforts as much if it was that simple? Also, I seem to recall from high school something about wanting to convert the Egyptians. What does the Catholic Church say about this?
Red Rackham (718 rep)
Oct 18, 2015, 10:02 PM • Last activity: Nov 9, 2015, 03:45 PM
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