The Retraction
In Volume XIX of the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, for November, 1933, appeared an article by the same Alan H. Gardner previously referred to, entitled: "Tanis and PiRamesse: A Retraction." The opening paragraph of this article reads:
"When some twenty years ago I began to collect the evidence relating to the Delta Residence of the Ramessides, I regarded the enterprise as one solely of parochial Egyptological interest."—Parts 3, 4, p. 122.
"On tackling the subject in real earnest, I discovered that the Biblical questions involving Raamses . . . were vital to my own problems. . . . I will admit that the lack of logic and imperviousness to facts shown by those who treat the book of Exodus as a good historical document soon ranged me upon the other side, but at least I can absolve myself of any desire to attack traditional beliefs merely for the pleasure of doing so. My purpose was simply to draw the inferences dictated by the evidence, and the location of the town of Ramesses at or near Pelusium appeared to me so likely a conclusion that I felt bound to point out how topographically impossible this would make the narrative of the Exodus, as recorded in the book bearing that name.
"I have now to confess that my identification of Pi-Ramesse with Pelusium WAS A MISTAKE [capitals mine], and that Brugsch's old identification of the Ramesside capital with Tanis, if perhaps not finally demonstrable at present, is at least a thousand times more defensible. I owe my conversion partly to the new discoveries of M. Montet, the present excavator at Tanis, and partly to other considerations which I shall set forth below. M. Montet has had the kindness to put at my disposal some of the new inscriptions substantiating his contention, and I herewith tender to him my cordial thanks."—Ibid.
"It is useless to reiterate the grounds upon which Brugsch . . . proposed the identification of Pi-Ramesse with Tanis, the investigation having now, through the discovery of new material, passed into a far more complex stage. Still, it is due to that great scholar to acknowledge the acumen with which he arrived at the right conclusion."—/bid.
"The evidence that has now swung my opinion in the opposite direction is M. Montet's discovery that the gods of Pi-Ramesse were really the gods of Tanis."—Id., p. 123.
"M. Montet has produced fresh testimony to prove that Tanis was, after all, situated in the fourteenth nome of Lower Egypt, not in the nineteenth, where I attempted to place it. Here again cumulative evidence counts for much."—Id., p. 125.
"My former contention that the ascertained position of Pi-Ramesse renders impossible the geographical details of the book of Exodus, must be unreservedly withdrawn. In the Biblical story the town of Rameses is represented as distant two days' march from the edge of the wilderness.' If Pi-Ramesse were Pelusium, it would actually have been at the edge of the wilderness. Accordingly I conjectured . . . that the Biblical chronicler had wrongly identified Pi-Ramesse with Tanis. It now turns out that Tanis was the right location of Rameses, and to that extent the topography of the Hebrew writer is not open to criticism."—/d., p. 127.
Truth Is Again Vindicated
Again the Word of God has been vindicated. The writer of the "Retraction" is not the first person who has doubted the verity of the Word of God and has had eventually to acknowledge his error. To those who follow the counsels of such leaders and who believe that such informants are wise above what is written, the results are often disastrous, and they find it difficult to recover themselves.
Repeatedly has the Exodus narrative been attacked. Many a time have the writings of Moses been brought into question. Periodically men arise who cast doubt upon the accuracy of the Pentateuch. As a result, professed be-livers often abandon their faith in the first five books of the Bible. Unless such individuals retrace their steps and again plant their feet on the immovable platform of foundation truths, they will eventually make shipwreck of their faith.
It was our Lord and Master who said: "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me: for he wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?" John 5:46, 47. We gather from these remarks by our divine Saviour, that in order to believe Him, it is necessary, yes, essential, to accept the writings of the Pentateuch. These first five books of the Bible, written by Moses, deal with fundamental truths and foundation principles.
Professor Gardner has left a splendid testimony in favor of the accuracy of some portions of the second book of the Bible. His retraction is a confession that the writer of the first few chapters of the book of Exodus is in harmony with the records on the monuments. The stones cry out in witness to the truthfulness of the Word of God. His confession would lead one to believe that he had developed a change of viewpoint concerning the Sacred Record and would be ready to admit that the Word of God is inspired. However, in speaking of the record of the Exodus, he remarks:
"If I continue to regard the narrative of Exodus as legendary, it is on entirely different grounds.
"It does not seem desirable to extend this article dealing with a purely geographical topic into a systematic discussion of the Exodus problem. . . . Ingredients of later date, such as the escape of a few Hebrew prisoners of war, may possibly have been blended so as to lend the story a slightly different coloring, but the narrative as it stands does not read to me like history, nor do I think that either its details or its implications correspond to fact. It is from such reasons that I employ the term 'legendary' in connection with it."—Id., p. 128.
In view of the foregoing statement, it is well to remind ourselves of the valuable advice given to the Hebrews by one Jahaziel who approached king Jehoshaphat as the monarch was about to engage in battle. After the seer had made his pronouncement,. at a time when the outlook favoring Israel was at a disadvantage, the king of Judah made public proclamation in the ears of the Judean army in the following words:
"Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper." 2 Chron. 20:14-20.
The Palestine Bulletin, in reporting the lectures given by Professor Yahuda on archeological discoveries at the University College, London, England, says:
"Doctor Yahuda claimed that every discovery made in Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, and in Egypt, had confirmed the Bible, and now linguistic evidence was forthcoming to support and complement archaeological evidence."—Aug. 2, 1932. "The Biblical saying, 'Truth will grow out of the earth,' was being literally fulfilled, he said, by the excavations."—Aug. 9, 1932.
That earth's inhabitants might be encouraged to maintain a steadfast and unwavering faith in the story of the Exodus, the blessed Master appeared to His aged servant John on the barren rock, Patmos, and revealed to this faithful and tried disciple the victory of the heroes of faith standing on the heavenly Mount Zion. The captive apostle was permitted to hear these victors sing the song of triumph and liberty. Imagine the thrill that must have swept over this nonagenarian seer when he heard the strains of heavenly music echoing and reechoing the song which the Hebrews sang following their deliverance from the land of the Pharaohs, after Moses led them across the Red Sea. The record says:
"I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory . . . stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty." Rev. 15;2, 3.
The Creator and Redeemer has placed the seal of divine approval upon the story of the Exodus as recorded in the second book of the Bible.
