''The Exodus Decoded'' is a 2006 documentary film by "investigative archaeologist" and filmmaker
Simcha Jacobovici and producer/director
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
. It aired April 16 on
The History Channel. The documentary proposes naturalistic origins for the
plagues of Egypt as described in the
Book of Exodus.
Premise
The documentary deals with
The Exodus
The Exodus (Hebrew language, Hebrew: יציאת מצרים, ''Yeẓi’at Miẓrayim'': ) is the founding myth of the Israelites whose narrative is spread over four books of the Torah (or Pentateuch, corresponding to the first five books of the ...
, the
founding myth of the
Israelites. While few mainstream historians would consider the
Book of Exodus as a reliable narrative, Cameron and Jacobovici present a speculative question as to whether the events as described, particularly relating to the
plagues of Egypt, could be explained naturalistically. Central to its thesis is the
volcanic eruption of
Thera/Santorini.
A suggested date of 1500 BC is made for the Exodus, during the reign of pharaoh
Ahmose I. The "palpable darkness" described as the 9th plague, is hypothetically attributed to the cloud of volcanic ash caused by the Minoan eruption, which is identified as the events described in the
Tempest Stele. A conjectural
limnic eruption in the Nile Delta, similar to that of the
Lake Nyos disaster in 1986, is explored as a further source of mass death.
The documentary first aired on
Discovery Channel Canada on April 16, 2006.
Reception
As a popular history documentary, ''The Exodus Decoded'' attracted few critiques from mainstream scholars. ''
The Washington Post'' described the use of CGI as "stunning", a view shared by ''
The New York Times'', which placed the documentary's content firmly in the realms of conspiracy theory. A review in ''
The Jerusalem Post'' noted that none of the arguments made in the film were accepted by mainstream archaeology and that film-maker Jacobovici freely admitted his lack of academic credentials.
See also
*
Passage of the Red Sea
*
Tempest Stele (alt. Storm Stele, erected by pharaoh Ahmose I, and called Akmose/Ahmose stele in the film)
*
Thera (Santorini) eruption Association with the Exodus
The Minoan eruption was a catastrophic volcanic eruption that devastated the Aegean island of Thera (also called Santorini) circa 1600 BCE. It destroyed the Minoan settlement at Akrotiri, as well as communities and agricultural areas on nearb ...
*
Plagues of Egypt
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Exodus Decoded
2006 films
2006 television films
2006 computer-animated films
2006 documentary films
Canadian documentary television films
Documentary films about the Bible
Films with live action and animation
History (American TV channel) original programming
Films about the ten plagues of Egypt
Historical theories and materials on the Exodus
Pseudoscience documentary films
Films based on the Book of Exodus
Films directed by Simcha Jacobovici
2000s Canadian films