Who Was Moses? - Review - video recording review

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), May, 2000 by Robert S. Rothenberg

WHO WAS MOSES? TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT 50 MINUTES, $14.98

How much of the Bible is fact and how much is fiction? The debate has gone on for centuries among historians, theologians, and archaeologists, but only recently have artifacts been unearthed to help authenticate some of the more contentious areas of dispute. The story of Moses leading the Hebrews out of Egypt, as told in Exodus, has been under much scrutiny, with a number of elements--such as the 10 plagues and the parting of the Red Sea in particular--defying scientific logic and being dismissed as myths. Now, however, archaeological finds in the Negev Desert and Egypt are beginning to lend credence to the legend.

As American archaeologist Tom Hodgkins explains, backed with hard, meteorological evidence, the plagues likely can be attributed to conditions stemming from the annual flooding of the Nile River. Meanwhile, the parting of the Red Sea may have been the offshoot of a massive volcanic eruption on the Greek island of Santorini that triggered a monstrous tidal wave. As the water receded in its wake, the seabed was exposed, a condition that was reproduced on a much smaller scale when Santorini erupted again a few decades ago. Italian fishermen remember seeing aquatic creatures flopping about on almost dry ground as the ensuing tidal wave swept back out to sea.

Further evidence has been found on Mt. Karkom in the Negev, where remains of encampments, an altar with 12 pillars, and a 4,000-year-old rock engraving that bears a striking resemblance to the tablets containing the 10 Commandments have been unearthed. Perhaps the most startling is the conclusion set forth by biblical scholars that Moses himself may have been the scribe who set down the story of Exodus.

Whether viewed as a scientific mystery or an archaeological adventure, this video is enthralling and thought-provoking. It may just be that Cecil B. DeMille was right on the money when he filmed "The Ten Commandments."

Reviewed by ROBERT S. ROTHENBERG Publisher and Editor-in-Chief