THE EXODUS - How many people in the Exodus from Egypt

THE EXODUS

How many people in the Exodus from Egypt

Stes de Necker

One of the interesting current debates between scientists and the clergy, following on the war between Israel and Palestine, is the question about the number of people who entered the Promised Land.

The medieval Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides (1135-1204 AD) once said that the contradictions between the Bible and science, is either because of a lack of scientific knowledge, or a faulty understanding of the Bible.

There can be only one truth.

As in so many other cases, the Bible gives us not only one, but two clear indications of how many people accompanied the exodus.

1. GEN. 46:26

In Genesis 46: 26 we read that Jacob originally moved to Egypt and 66 of his descendants accompanied him on his journey from Ur to Egypt. According to Scripture, this number did not included Jacob's daughters in law.

If we accept that, including the slaves and servants, a total of 250 people (66 descendants + 66 daughters + 130 male and female slaves) went with Jacob to Egypt, it is very likely that this number of people could, over a period of 430 years (the period that the people of God in Egypt), increase to a population of nearly 3 million.

Simplified Calculation.

SUPPOSITION 

a. Birth rate: 4 children per family.

b. Average generation span; 28 years.

(Note, I refer to the average generation span which must be clearly distinguished from an average lifespan. Average lifespan means the average period a person lives. The average generation span refers to the average age of a man until the birth of his first child. )

c. Initial population size: 250

d. Period in Egypt: 430 years

e. Number of generations: 15 (15 X 28 = 420)

f. Deaths due to normal old age. 

From the table below it is evident that over a period of 420 years, an initial population size of 250, in the space of 15 generations, can increase to a total of 2,976,517.

This calculation does not include the "multitude of others” which joined the Exodus.  (Exodus. 12:38) All in all the total number of the Exodus was probably as high as 4 million.

2. NUM 1:44

The second important indication of the number of people who joined the Exodus is found in Numbers 1:44.

With the start of the exodus, Moses had a census done of the number of able-bodied men in the group.

According to Numbers 1: 44, there were thus a total of 603.550 able-bodied male Israelites, 20 years and older (excluding the Levites) at the beginning of the Exodus in Egypt.

If we assume that 80% of these men were married at the time, and that each such household consisted of 6 members, i.e. father, mother and four children, it means that approximately 3,621,300, Israelites joined the Exodus. 

The above calculation also does not include the "multitude of others” who accompanied the voyage. All in all the number was probably as high as 4 million people.

Some researchers even claim that more people could be.

According to both authorities, that of 46:26 and Numbers. 1:44, it is clear that the total number of people who left Egypt were between 3.6 and 4.0 million people.

Interesting also to note that, at the end of the exodus, there were once again a census conducted and the difference in the number of able-bodied men who left Egypt (603.550), and the number that entered the Promised Land, (601.730) was a mere 1,820.

Taking into consideration that almost 3,000 died when they worshiped the golden calf and another 250 was swallowed by the earth swallowed when the leaders of the people rebelled against Moses. We read of a number of other deaths but unfortunately these numbers are not indicated.

3.  FACTUAL AUTHORITIES 

According to the eighteenth century explorer, Von Haven, (1761-1767) "I have earlier Observed that we could not possibly be at Mount Sinai. The monastery [of St. Catherine] allegedly situated in a narrow valley in the Mount Sinai, was not even large enough for a medium-sized army to be able to camp there, let alone the 600,000 men which Moses had with Him. Together with their wives and children, they must have come to over 3,000,000. "

CONCLUSION

Sometimes it boggles my mind why people will always make such a fuss over something so relatively simple.

For the Christian believer, the Bible is still the only true and trustworthy Word of God, and worth to "be adopted fully"