Journal: Chafer Theological Seminary Journal
Volume: CTSJ 10:2 (Fall 2004)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

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CTSJ 10:2 (Fall 2004) p. 101

Book Reviews

Review of The Exodus Case: New Discoveries Confirm the Historical Exodus. By Lennart Möller. Copenhagen NV, Denmark: Scandinavia Publishing, 2002. 317 pp. $34.95.

It is not often that someone comes up with a refreshingly creative approach explaining the biblical Exodus account, but Dr. Lennart Möller—a medical doctor, professor at the University of Stockholm, and scientist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm—has done just that in this unusual wedding of biblical account, archeology, and illustration. The book succeeds a short film entitled The Exodus Revealed (Questar Video, ISBN: 1568557361) and anticipates a longer production, a three-hour video that is currently in the works (www.exoduscase.com).

One of the things the reader will appreciate about Dr. Möller’s presentation is that at the very beginning he clearly states his assumptions and the approach he will take to various topics. First of all, he is operating from a biblical framework: he assumes that the Bible is true. Secondly, he revisits sites in order to verify the data brought forth by other archeologists. Thirdly, he marries the data with the biblical text to check for fit. Dr. Möller seeks to build a cohesive picture showing how Scripture and archeology (faith and fact) fit together.

As a result, he comes up with a model of biblical history that sometimes runs counter to the typical history of the Ancient Near East, Egypt, and the Exodus event, but one that merits attention and follows closely the biblical accounts. It is interesting that Dr. Möller works hard to avoid being dogmatic about his conclusions, since he realizes that archeological data is, at best, only partial. All along the way there is a wide array of archeological evidence presented.

Some of Dr. Möller’s conclusions may seem unusual. For instance:

1. According to Dr. Möller’s analysis, biblical Ur (which Abraham left) was probably not in Iraq, but in what is southeast Turkey today, possibly at or near present-day Urfa. That would place it much closer to Harran. As evidence, Dr. Möller presents photographs and road signs of the places in the area that bear names closely resembling Nimrod, Shinar, Ur and Chaldee (kale). Whether this is incidental or relevant is difficult to determine, to be sure. But most modern scholars assume that the Ur that Abram departed from was in the East. That, in turn, is at least partially based on another assumption, namely, that Nimrod’s Babel, Accad, and Shinar could only have extended from the Tigris and Euphrates valley directly northward, and not westward. Dr. Möller suggests that Nimrod’s kingdom could

CTSJ 10:2 (Fall 2004) p. 102

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