Out of the Desert? is an overview of attempts to place the events described in the biblical Exodus and Conquest narratives in the archaeological record. Arguments for and against both the traditional 15th century dating and the newer 13th century dating are given. Some of the wilder theories are also discussed, from Velikovsky's catastrophism to attempts to date the Conquest to the end of the Early Bronze I period (c. 2300 BC). The final conclusion is that the bulk of the Exodus and Conquest narratives can not be historical.

As a readable introduction to the history and archaeology of Israelite origins, with a lot of background information on Egypt and Palestine in the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, Stiebing's work is recommended to anyone interested in near-Eastern ancient history or Old Testament biblical studies.

March 1992

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Related reviews:

- books about Judaism + Jewish history
- more ancient history
- more archaeology