The Exodus Diary

Archaeologists have been shoveling and spading Egypt's earth for centuries. One would think nothing of major significance could possibly remain unearthed.

Not so. A second-rate Egyptologist, from a third-rate university, on his last dig, unearths a miracle--the diary of the Pharaoh Ay, successor to Tutankhamen, written in his own hand. And what a tale he relates! He is the pharaoh of the Exodus, the man who confronted Moses. What he relates is the story of the Exodus itself as seen through the eyes of pharaoh himself.

On the one hand, it confirms the historical accuracy of the Biblical account as presented in the Old Testament. But there is another side to the story. The story of pharaoh's dilemma. According to pharaoh's own testimony, Egypt faced a crisis. The population had grown, both of Egyptians and Hebrews. He was unable to feed the Egyptians, let alone Hebrew slaves. But the slaves were numerous, and if he could not feed them, they would certainly revolt. He wanted them gone. But much of Egypt's wealth was tied up in slaves. If he simply expelled them, the slaveowners would rebel.

And then came Moses, with his demands. There was truth in the story of the Exodus as contained in the Bible. But pharaoh had his own truths too, and after 3,500 years, they are now revealed to the world.