Connecting the Dots of the Exodus – Episode 3

This week (Oct 28) on Shabbat Night Live, stories abound of Mt. Sinai’s true location — but there can only be one. Is there new evidence of the mountain itself? Are there other clues that help us solidify its veracity?

Dr. Miles Jones brings a mountain of new evidence and scriptural backing from both Old and New Testaments that forever solidifies the Israelites’ place in history.

Watch the episode — included on this blog post.

While you watch, consider the questions below. The timeline for each discussion topic in the video is noted on each question. Post your answers in the comments section and let’s get some discussion going!

1. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 14:00) How does Isaiah 65:11 illuminate the contemporary controversy over the location of Mount Sinai? How does YeHoVaH’s equation of those “[w]ho forget my holy mountain” with “those who forsake the Lord” serve to dramatize the unfolding prophecy detailed in the Book of the Revelation for today’s post-Christian world?
2. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 18:00) How do the Israeli explorations of the Sinai peninsula following the Six-Day War of 1967 underscore the importance to the world at large of this near-forgotten event within its tumultuous decade? How might the eventual return of this massive tract of land to Egypt be viewed as yet another facet of a divine plan for our salvation through discovery and analysis?
3. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 22:00) How does the prospect of Mount Sinai’s identification with the mountain described in Genesis 22:14 serve to reorient today’s believers to this location as a source of YeHoVaH’s direct communication with his creation? How does Abraham’s designation of “The Lord Will Provide” as its place-name continue to resonate in both scriptural history and our contemporary world?
4. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 25:00) How does Elijah’s sojourn at Mount Horeb in 1 Kings 19 further develop this view of YeHoVaH’s profound presence and instruction to his chosen subjects? Why is this an appropriate and resonant location for the extended demonstration of divine power in verses 11 – 13 as an admonition to the prophet against faltering in his mission, one which can arguably apply to all believers?
5. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 28:00) How do the words of YeHoVaH to Moses in Exodus 3:12 serve to emphasize the importance of sacred places for today’s seekers of salvation? How does today’s casual contempt toward places of worship or adoration, whether displayed by rogue terrorists or radicalized demonstrators, reveal a profound level of blasphemy in light of the demarcation that is presented here?
6. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 33:00) As has been mentioned elsewhere in this forum, naturalistic explanations continue to recur in debates about biblical miracles. How might today’s faithful reconcile such explanations with their own cherished beliefs instead of viewing them as diametrical opposites?  How might science serve to enhance rather than undermine their own private apostolates?
7. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 37:00) Similarly, how can skeptical viewpoints regarding possible discoveries of chariot wheels in the depths of the Red Sea ironically serve to bolster the arguments of believers against those who seek to disprove biblical history or deny the relevance of belief altogether? How might continued participation in these issues be viewed as fulfillment of the exhortation in Proverbs 4:7 to obtain wisdom?
8. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 42:00) How have the stylistics of Bible illustrations from the past served to overemphasize the supernatural aspect of particular miracles and thus encourage skepticism or even disbelief among young learners? How might photographic evidence from latter-day explorers of such sites as the split rock of Horeb and the cave of Elijah become a potentially greater source of curiosity and belief for those doubters, even though they remain controversial?
9. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 46:00) How does the prospect of Mount Sinai as the place of Abraham’s would-be sacrifice of Isaac not only emphasize the importance of burnt offerings to YeHoVaH but also the significance of this earlier juncture in the Hebrew narrative? How has neglect in popular culture of this son of the patriarch, along with the anomalous position of his half-brother Ishmael, contributed to pervasive ignorance regarding the concept of the Jews as a great nation?
10. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 54:00) Why has the figure of the bull, originating from the Egyptian god Apis, continued to resonate in Western culture to the present day? Despite its condemnation as an idol by Moses and the denunciation of bullfighting as a heretical sacrifice by religious leaders through the early modern period, how can its pagan ethos possibly be discerned in contemporary activism against factory farming or radical lifestyle choices like veganism?