Among those who accept a tradition (Jeremiah 29:10) that the exile lasted 70 years, some choose the dates 608 to 538, others 586 to about 516 (the year when the rebuilt Temple was dedicated in Jerusalem).
430 yearsThe Book of Exodus itself attempts to ground the event firmly in history, dating the exodus to the 2666th year after creation (Exodus 12:40-41), the construction of the tabernacle to year 2667 (Exodus 40:1-2, 17), stating that the Israelites dwelled in Egypt for 430 years (Exodus 12:40-41), and including place names ...
Kadesh-barnea was on the border of the promised land, and it was intended that the children of Israel would go from there and inherit the land. In other words, it took the children of Israel 40 years to travel the distance they could have traveled in 11 days.
But Moses told them that God would help them. God ordered Moses to stretch out his staff over the Red Sea, and the sea parted. This allowed the Israelites to escape across the sea, and away from Egypt unharmed. Meanwhile, the Pharaoh and his army followed them by charging into the sea.
Slavery in Egypt existed up until the early 20th century.
40 yearsFor 40 years, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, eating quail and manna. They were led into the Promised Land by Joshua; the victory at Jericho marked the beginning of possession of the land.
The Hebrew people lived in the lands outside of the promised land for "forty years". This period of years represents the time it takes for a new generation to arise (Numbers 32:13). Several early Hebrew leaders and kings are said to have ruled for "forty years", that is, a generation.
Chapter 22:The Israelites travel for 40 years in the wilderness in search of the promised land. We lived in heaven with Heavenly Father before this life.
Horeb (1 Kings 19:8). The number 40 also appears in the prophecies of Ezekiel (4:6; 29:11-13) and Jonah (3:4). In the New Testament, Jesus was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights (Matthew 4:2). There were 40 days between Jesus' resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:3).
The Israelites had been in Egypt for generations, but now that they had become so numerous, the Pharaoh feared their presence. He feared that one day the Isrealites would turn against the Egyptians. Gradually and stealthily, he forced them to become his slaves.
Still, a lot of assumptions. "In my model, Moses has 4 hours to get across," says Drews. The area of land that becomes available for crossing in Drews' computer model is 3 to 4 kilometers long, and 5 km wide.
40 yearsThe archaeological remains roughly coincided with the timing of the Israelites' biblical flight from Egypt and the 40 years of wandering the desert in search of the Promised Land.
Ramses IIThere, the Hebrews prospered and became a great nation. They became so numerous, that a pharaoh "who did not know Joseph" enslaved the Hebrews. This pharaoh is believed to be Ramses II (1290-1224 B.C.E.)
13th century bceExodus, the liberation of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt in the 13th century bce, under the leadership of Moses; also, the Old Testament book of the same name.
The following morning, some 15,000 individuals were found dead in their graves. According to tradition, this harrowing ritual was repeated annually for forty years, until the original 600,000 Israelites who left Egypt—those who doubted that they could attain the Promised Land—finally died off.
It's certainly true that the Israelite people spent centuries doing construction work for the ancient Egyptians. However, they did not build the pyramids. Instead, they were likely involved in building new cities and other projects within Egypt's vast empire.