Journal: Journal of Transformative Learning and Leadership
Volume: JTLL 01:2 (Spring 2024)
Article: Erasure: Egyptological Consideration In The Presentation Of Ancient History For Transformative Educators
Author: C. R. Twombly

Erasure: Egyptological Consideration In The Presentation Of Ancient History For Transformative Educators

C. R. Twombly

Abstract

This is a paper applying critical secondary considerations to the historiography of the Egyptian golden age and the events of the exodus as related in the Jewish Torah. This paper considers how the issue of historiographical erasure in Egyptological sources reframes prioritization in the presentation of events related to Hebraic-Egyptian interaction. It also assesses the comparative qualities of the Jewish Torah account, beyond its Divine authorization, to illustrate its credibility for construction of an accurate presentation of the events in question. The goal of this paper is to consider the relationship between the Egyptological resources and the Jewish resources in order to inform transformative educators concerning reliable bases for constructing accurate presentations of history to their learners.

Erasure

In historical education there is a persistent problem when presenting ancient history between the detailed accounts of the Jewish Torah concerning the exodus and the silence of Egyptological records. The exodus event itself is gargantuan in proportions, shifting the ancient geopolitical landscape of the

JTLL 1:2 (Spring 2024) 82

levant. And while few would be so bold as to claim that no such event could have occurred, due to the cultural insensitivity such a statement would imply in an age which rightly recognizes and fears the horrors of antisemitism, the silence of accounts in Egyptian records has been cause for concern among historians about the veracity of the Jewish account. In response, transformative educators have frequently attempted to integrate the Jewish accounts into the known Egyptological record in order to provide a synthesized history.1 These attempts do little to resolve the issue of divergence between the accounts and frequently learners encounter considerable inconsistency between individual educators, even within the same institutions. However, based on a more critical secondary consideration, there is a plain rationale for the silence of the Egyptian record, which lends far greater credence to the Jewish account in its sufficiency to provide an accurate history despite Egyptological silence.

Firstly, we must acknowledge, as a matter of principle, that the Jewish account of the exodus event as it appears in the Torah is beyond the scope of secondary considerations. The human author of the text claims the account comes from divine origin and inspiration, a claim verified by the Divine Son.2

JTLL 1:2 (Spring 2024) 83

Therefore, the Jewish account lies fi...