Usually all I want for Christmas is some CDs, but this time when my mom told me I had money from relatives to spend I decided to forgo the likes of Creed and the Newsboys and opt for some reading material instead. I have not been disappointed with my choice, especially because of Israel in Egypt.

James Hoffmeier has an impressive background and he is strongly familiar with both Egyptology and Biblical studies, giving him a unique perspective. Having a broad knowledge of the material available and the research that has been done, he poses this fundamental question: Is the narrative from Joseph to Moses, comprising Genesis 39 through Exodus 15, plausible and compatible with what we know about Egyptian history? As a part of this, other questions naturally arise: Could a Semite foreigner like Joseph arise to a position of prominence? Did the Egyptians employ foreigners in hard labor projects? Do the place-names and features mentioned in the Pentateuch match Egyptian geography? Hoffmeier sets out to answer such questions as these.

The book begins with a scan over past study into the early history of Israel, detailing how positive assessments of historicity, such as the Albright-Wright Synthesis on the Conquest, have collapsed in favor of a dominant skepticism. The Documentary Hypothesis is briefly mentioned, as well as the challenges that have led to its decline. Hoffmeier then wraps up this section by commenting on the limits of skepticism. The next major topic discussed by the book is the debate over the origins of Israel. Hoffmeier critiques various theories proposed to explain the development of the Hebrew state, such as a gradual immigration, or a peasant revolt. He concludes that there is little evidence to assert the Israelites emerged from the indigenous population, and the lack of destructive evidence for the Conquest should be no surprise given that, according to the text, Joshua did not follow a “scorched earth” policy.

The attention then turns to Egypt as the data is examined for evidence of Semitic migration into the country and for the plausibility of the Joseph narrative. Hoffmeier uses textual evidence to confirm that foreigners would travel to Egypt during times of famine and that a significant Semitic population settled in the Nile Delta. He also finds support among Egyptian texts to show that Semites were appointed to positions of high office, as well as to show the use of foreign slave labor in building projects.

Some attention is given to the plagues and the relation of the first nine to the ecology of Egypt. Hoffmeier also states an interesting hypothesis that the use of Moses’ staff when confronting Pharoah’s magicians (Exodus 7:8-12) represents a challenge to Pharoah’s rulership, because one regular symbol of kingship was a “small shepherd’s crook.”

The rest of the book is devoted to the geography of the Exodus as Hoffmeier attempts a basic sketch of the route taken by the Israelites out of Egypt and reviews the debate as to what body of water identified by the text did the Israelites cross.

Hoffmeier closes in stating that while direct evidence for the Exodus has not been found, enough indirect data supports the plausibility of Israel’s great national birth story. To dismiss the biblical tradition would be premature.

The book was not difficult to read, with the exception of some technical discussion on Egyptian and Hebrew linguistics. The author is very thorough in presenting conflicting opinions with their respective strengths and weaknesses. It is not an apologetic written to be persuasive, but a scholarly analysis written to be informative, stating what we can know for sure, and what we may speculate within the realm of possibility. If you are interested in Old Testament history, then have a peek at this book.