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Narrator: According to
the bible, moses is one of
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the most important prophets
in history.
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But what do we know about
the actual man himself?
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Surprisingly very little.
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There seem to be no factual
accounts of moses
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and little evidence
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from archaeology or historical
records to prove
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the exodus story is true.
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Whether moses
is legend or fact,
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he is a towering figure
in all abrahamic religions.
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Narrator:
Academics, archaeologists,
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and historians debate
over when
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moses lived and if
he lived at all,
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whether the stories of
the ten commandments,
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the burning bush, and even
the parting of the red sea
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actually happened.
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Kirkpatrick: He performed
great acts of magic,
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which he claimed were
miracles...Or were they?
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Boxall: Is there a scientific
explanation behind this story?
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And the answer is, yes,
we can do it very simply.
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Phillips: If my historical
research is correct,
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then moses was the most
important person
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who ever lived.
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♪
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♪
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♪
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narrator: Moses is one of
the most important figures
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in the old testament,
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according to the bible,
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but who is
this mysterious character?
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Gough: Moses was a prophet
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according to christianity
and islam.
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The jury is still out on
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whether he is a real,
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historical figure
or mythological.
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Mcmahon: I mean, he may have
been a legendary figure.
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He may have been factual,
but he's the most important
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prophet in the old testament.
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You know, he writes the torah,
the laws of god.
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He leads the israelites out
of egypt,
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out of bondage
to the promised land.
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And he is, among all
the prophets, the most revered,
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the most important.
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[ singing in foreign language ]
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young-somers: Moses holds a very
important role in the three big
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monotheistic faiths,
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as the archetype leader
certainly forms the majority
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of the narrative through
the five books of moses,
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which are obviously cortex for
both jews and christians,
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whether that's in the old
testament or in the hebrew
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bible and torah, and then
he's also considered a very
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important prophet
in islam, too, so,
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I think, a core figure for
all the three abrahamic faiths.
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Narrator: The traditional story
is that moses was
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the son of a hebrew slave
in ancient egypt.
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At the time, the pharaoh
feared his growing
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hebrew population
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and ordered all of
their newborn boys to be slain.
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So to escape this fate,
moses's mother
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hid her son in a basket
and set it free on
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the river nile.
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Moses is found by no less
a person than
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pharaoh's daughter,
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who brings him to the royal
palace, where he's brought up.
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Now, not only is that dramatic
in terms of the context,
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but in terms of story-writing
and symbol, that's the most
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powerful you get,
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because it's
a transitional moment.
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It's liminal, he's moving from
one world into the next world
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through the water -- he's being
set up as a hero in the making.
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Narrator:
As moses enters adulthood,
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he embarks on a troubling path,
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torn between his egyptian
upbringing and his hebrew roots.
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Bianchi: Moses, as this
adopted egyptian,
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sees his people being
mistreated, and moses sees
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an egyptian overseer beat
a hebrew worker.
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And moses waits for
an opportune time,
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goes up to the egyptian,
and murders him.
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News of his murder
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is on everybody's lips,
and pharaoh starts
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to look for him.
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Narrator: Moses escaped
to the desert and led
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a simple life in exile
as a shepherd.
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One day, while tending his
flock, he encountered
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a burning bush
and the voice of god,
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telling him to return to
egypt, confront the pharaoh,
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free the hebrews, and take them
to the promised land.
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To support moses's mission,
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god summons ten plagues
to terrorize the pharaoh.
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♪
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after agreeing to moses's terms,
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the pharaoh changed his mind
and gave chase.
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With the hebrews trapped
on the edge of the red sea,
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moses used his staff
to part the waves,
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allowing the desperate group
to escape.
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The egyptian army followed,
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but is engulfed
by the violent waters.
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This allowed moses to lead
his people to mount sinai,
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where god gave him
the ten commandments
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and then took his people
to the promised land.
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Young-somers: Moses is
a flawed individual
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in the jewish tradition,
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but also the greatest leader
that we've had.
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And I think moses's
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flaws are --
are, for me,
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an important part of
the narrative,
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because it teaches us that
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even as flawed
people ourselves,
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we can still make
a difference.
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We can still contribute,
and that
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god can still be in
a relationship with us,
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even though we make mistakes.
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Gough: By all accounts,
moses was a virtuous man,
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a man of his principles.
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He was dedicated --
no matter how difficult
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or arduous the task
that he was given,
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he did it, so he's become
this sort of
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inspirational figure who
wanted to do things his way
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no matter what the established
norm was at that time.
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Narrator: For such a central
religious figure,
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the lack of evidence around
him is, well, outstanding.
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There are no archaeological
findings to support
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the biblical story
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and certainly no extra
biblical references
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in egyptian inscriptions.
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The absence of proof is a huge
problem for historians,
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archaeologists,
and academics.
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There is strangely
no evidence that moses
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was a historical figure,
and I say strangely,
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because the egyptians
were so good at keeping records,
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and to not have a record there
is interesting.
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We even have records of people
who -- whose records were
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effaced, like hatshepsut
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when she was stricken
from records by her son
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after he came to power.
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We know that that happened,
but we have nothing on moses.
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Like many, many great,
epic tales,
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there might be
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just a kernel of truth
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upon whom the character
of moses is based,
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and I'm not prepared
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to dismiss him out of hand.
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Although,
when you study traditions,
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you understand that...
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History has a chance of being
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morphed into something
larger than life.
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Gough: Now those who believe
it is a authentic story
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that the israelites
were held captive in egypt
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and left in the exodus
point us to different locations
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and different periods in time,
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which is why we don't find
the evidence we think we should.
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Narrator: So where can we find
evidence for the real moses?
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And what controversial
theories are
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given to explain
his supernatural powers?
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♪
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narrator: Did the legendary
biblical figure
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of moses really exist?
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Archaeological evidence has
yet to unearth any proof of
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his life, or even that
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of his followers
in egypt or in the deserts of
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the sinai peninsula.
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Yet there are tantalizing
clues in the story of
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something that may be more
than mere folk tale.
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For a start, there is
the name moses itself.
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Bianchi: The name moses can
etymologically be related
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to the egyptian,
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the ancient egyptian verb,
meaning "to be born."
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and so, in a sense, if you
want to take an egyptian slant,
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moses has an egyptian name,
because, quote,
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"he was born out of the water."
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mcmahon: The old testament
tells us that moses was
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a fourth generation egyptian,
I mean, this is
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essentially a citizen
of ancient egypt,
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as were most of the jewish
people that he led out
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of bondage.
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So if we'd met moses,
we'd have met essentially
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an ancient egyptian
by appearance,
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possibly even by language,
by culture.
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Narrator: Although he led
the hebrews out of slavery,
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moses's egyptian link might
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be stronger
than the bible reveals.
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Interestingly, his story
has a strange echo
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of the life of egyptian
pharaoh akhenaten,
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the first monotheist
known to history.
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Author and egyptologist
ahmed osman has written
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several books outlining
his belief that moses was
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akhenaten.
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Akhenaten reigned
from 1352 to 1338 bc
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and proclaimed that there
was only one true god,
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aten, the sun disc.
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All others were false.
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But when akhenaten died, the old
religious system revived
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and then obliterated
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akhenaten's memory
and that of his son and heir,
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tutankhamun.
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Mcmahon: You could rightly call
akhenaten the heretic pharaoh,
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because he rejects
the official religion,
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the state religion
of ancient egypt,
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I mean, which was hugely
important to people.
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I mean,
they governed their lives
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by what they thought
the gods wanted.
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Akhenaten comes along.
He throws all that out.
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He goes to war against thebes
and the temples of luxor
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and memphis,
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against all the priests,
he sends in his soldiers
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to smash up statues,
to hack faces off the temples.
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I mean, this is
an extraordinary,
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short-lived period
in egyptian history.
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Narrator: But can
this mysterious pharaoh really
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be the historical moses?
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Was akhenaten's religion
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the forerunner to
the abrahamic faiths?
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It's possible that moses was
inspired by akhenaten in --
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in some ways and ran with it
and changed it,
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turned it on its head.
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But we really don't know,
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and I think the monotheistic
thing is overplayed.
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The similarities
are overplayed.
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Bianchi: The israelites
are not monotheists
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until after
they leave israel
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and form
a national covenant.
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So here, you know,
you're putting the horse
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in front of the wagon
or behind the wagon,
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okay, he's not a monotheist
until they get to
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the promised land,
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and they don't get
to the promised land
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until after moses is dead.
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So trying to connect
those dots just ignores
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all of the evidence
as we know it.
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Narrator: Even if akhenaten
is not the real moses,
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some experts believe
there is still a link.
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By researching the bible
and writings
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of the ancient jewish
historian josephus,
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author and historian graham
phillips agrees that akhenaten
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is not moses,
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but his brother, thutmosis.
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Phillips: Thutmosis was
a prince in the court.
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Thutmosis was also
a leading general.
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He was, in fact,
in charge of
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all the king's chariot forces,
and thutmosis
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00:14:02,642 --> 00:14:06,878
also acted for a while
as the grand vizier,
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the prime minister,
the chief minister of egypt.
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All of those things
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we are told by josephus
and also
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partly in the bible,
applied to moses -- moses,
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we are told,
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00:14:25,432 --> 00:14:30,602
was exiled from egypt,
and exactly the same thing
248
00:14:30,704 --> 00:14:32,837
happens to thutmosis.
249
00:14:32,939 --> 00:14:34,472
He was exiled from egypt.
250
00:14:34,574 --> 00:14:36,908
We know this, because
archaeologists have discovered
251
00:14:37,010 --> 00:14:39,444
a tomb prepared for him,
252
00:14:39,546 --> 00:14:40,778
but it was never used.
253
00:14:41,948 --> 00:14:44,916
And the only conclusion that
people have come to, because
254
00:14:45,018 --> 00:14:46,451
they can find no records of him
255
00:14:46,553 --> 00:14:52,090
dying in office, is that
he was exiled.
256
00:14:52,192 --> 00:14:53,291
Once again,
257
00:14:53,393 --> 00:14:57,929
moses and thutmosis are living
almost identical lives
258
00:14:58,031 --> 00:15:00,531
at exactly the same time.
259
00:15:01,468 --> 00:15:04,736
Narrator: Whether or not moses
was, in fact, a well-documented
260
00:15:04,838 --> 00:15:06,170
egyptian leader,
261
00:15:06,273 --> 00:15:09,574
his story goes on
to tell of fantastic miracles.
262
00:15:12,379 --> 00:15:16,080
Could the story of the burning
bush really have happened?
263
00:15:16,182 --> 00:15:19,717
And could mind-altering
substances have generated
264
00:15:19,819 --> 00:15:21,319
moses's visions?
265
00:15:29,329 --> 00:15:30,862
Narrator:
The historical existence of
266
00:15:30,964 --> 00:15:34,532
the biblical prophet moses
might be debatable,
267
00:15:34,634 --> 00:15:38,269
but as the traditional story
goes, after he was exiled
268
00:15:38,371 --> 00:15:40,905
in the desert wilderness
for decades,
269
00:15:41,007 --> 00:15:43,608
a miraculous encounter
changed his life.
270
00:15:45,612 --> 00:15:47,879
The story goes
that on mount horeb,
271
00:15:47,981 --> 00:15:53,384
moses saw a burning bush,
which was, in fact, god
272
00:15:53,486 --> 00:15:55,853
speaking to him, telling him,
273
00:15:55,956 --> 00:16:00,391
instructing him to take
the israelites out of egypt
274
00:16:00,493 --> 00:16:01,926
to the promised land.
275
00:16:03,630 --> 00:16:04,996
Mcmahon: The burning bush is --
is what
276
00:16:05,098 --> 00:16:07,799
movie makers call
an inciting incident.
277
00:16:07,901 --> 00:16:09,567
It's that plot point.
278
00:16:09,669 --> 00:16:12,737
It's that moment
in the story of moses
279
00:16:12,839 --> 00:16:15,039
when he's got to go
on his quest.
280
00:16:15,141 --> 00:16:17,709
The burning bush is
what makes it all happen.
281
00:16:22,549 --> 00:16:25,616
Narrator: This fantastic vision
was traditionally seen as
282
00:16:25,719 --> 00:16:26,851
a miracle,
283
00:16:26,953 --> 00:16:30,421
but some believe there is
a radical alternative theory.
284
00:16:31,624 --> 00:16:33,257
Doblin: I think moses
could very well have been
285
00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:35,560
using psychedelics --
we don't know for sure,
286
00:16:35,662 --> 00:16:37,495
but I think it's
entirely possible.
287
00:16:39,799 --> 00:16:41,466
Narrator:
Rick doblin is the founder
288
00:16:41,568 --> 00:16:44,802
of the association for
psychedelic studies.
289
00:16:44,904 --> 00:16:46,738
He believes moses
could have used
290
00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:50,008
mind-altering drugs
to generate his visions.
291
00:16:53,713 --> 00:16:57,215
Doblin: So the burning bush,
to me, represents a not uncommon
292
00:16:57,317 --> 00:16:58,649
experience that people have
293
00:16:58,752 --> 00:17:00,284
under the influence
of psychedelics,
294
00:17:00,387 --> 00:17:04,522
where they look at nature, and
they realize that it's alive.
295
00:17:04,624 --> 00:17:06,290
It's got energy in it.
296
00:17:06,393 --> 00:17:08,893
And so the course of
energy through
297
00:17:09,028 --> 00:17:12,530
this plant could be
interpreted as fire.
298
00:17:15,001 --> 00:17:19,137
And so my interpretation of
that event was that it was more
299
00:17:19,239 --> 00:17:20,571
that, uh, you know,
300
00:17:20,673 --> 00:17:23,207
moses saw the inner fire,
and that if we could see
301
00:17:23,309 --> 00:17:26,577
the energy, we might
interpret it as fire.
302
00:17:28,348 --> 00:17:32,250
Narrator: In fact, nature might
provide another explanation.
303
00:17:34,220 --> 00:17:38,356
In the area where this is
said to have occurred,
304
00:17:38,458 --> 00:17:40,591
there grows acacia wood.
305
00:17:40,693 --> 00:17:44,429
And if you burn acacia wood
or an acacia tree burns
306
00:17:44,531 --> 00:17:46,497
and you're close enough
to inhale the smoke,
307
00:17:46,599 --> 00:17:48,733
you will hallucinate.
308
00:17:49,869 --> 00:17:52,970
Narrator:
This is because acacia bark
309
00:17:53,073 --> 00:17:56,040
contains a substance
called dmt,
310
00:17:56,142 --> 00:17:58,443
or dimethyltryptamine,
which is
311
00:17:58,545 --> 00:18:00,311
a powerful hallucinogenic.
312
00:18:02,482 --> 00:18:05,016
Mcmahon: It's even suggested
that moses was a kind of
313
00:18:05,118 --> 00:18:06,417
shaman-type figure
314
00:18:06,519 --> 00:18:09,420
who may have known this
and set the bush alight in
315
00:18:09,522 --> 00:18:12,323
order to have that kind
of experience,
316
00:18:12,425 --> 00:18:14,592
that communing
with the spiritual
317
00:18:14,694 --> 00:18:17,061
that only basically
a narcotic-driven high
318
00:18:17,163 --> 00:18:18,096
could've given him.
319
00:18:19,365 --> 00:18:22,233
Narrator: But is this really
an outlandish theory?
320
00:18:22,335 --> 00:18:25,736
Artificial methods to achieve
spiritual enlightenment
321
00:18:25,839 --> 00:18:27,238
have been used by cultures
322
00:18:27,340 --> 00:18:30,208
all across the world
for thousands of years.
323
00:18:32,579 --> 00:18:34,912
Doblin: I think they're --
psychedelics were seen
324
00:18:35,047 --> 00:18:36,881
as powerful tools to
325
00:18:36,983 --> 00:18:38,349
help us get out of
our, sort of,
326
00:18:38,451 --> 00:18:41,486
ego identification,
our sense of self,
327
00:18:41,588 --> 00:18:44,589
and that there has been
a reason for people to do
328
00:18:44,691 --> 00:18:46,657
various things in terms of
329
00:18:46,759 --> 00:18:50,795
drumming or fasting,
vision quests,
330
00:18:50,897 --> 00:18:55,500
and so I would imagine
that psychedelics could be
331
00:18:55,602 --> 00:18:58,269
something that was
appreciated by moses
332
00:18:58,371 --> 00:19:00,304
and people around
that time.
333
00:19:03,476 --> 00:19:05,877
Picknett: That could have been
a completely pivotal moment
334
00:19:05,979 --> 00:19:07,645
in several great religions,
335
00:19:07,780 --> 00:19:10,915
and it might all have been
due to burning bark.
336
00:19:12,519 --> 00:19:15,720
Bianchi: So there's nothing
in the biblical account
337
00:19:15,822 --> 00:19:18,990
to suggest
that he's eating or...
338
00:19:19,092 --> 00:19:21,959
Inhaling or...
Uh...
339
00:19:22,061 --> 00:19:23,427
Hallucinogens,
340
00:19:23,530 --> 00:19:26,097
so I -- I take
341
00:19:26,199 --> 00:19:27,598
scripture literally.
342
00:19:27,700 --> 00:19:29,133
He's watching a slot.
343
00:19:29,235 --> 00:19:30,168
He sees something.
344
00:19:30,270 --> 00:19:31,602
He goes over to investigate
345
00:19:31,704 --> 00:19:34,972
and gets the conversation
with the almighty.
346
00:19:36,943 --> 00:19:39,911
Narrator: Aside from talking
to god in the burning bush,
347
00:19:40,013 --> 00:19:41,345
there are still
other miracles
348
00:19:41,447 --> 00:19:44,182
moses is said to have
performed, such as parting
349
00:19:44,284 --> 00:19:45,917
the red sea.
350
00:19:46,019 --> 00:19:47,485
It is not surprising that such
351
00:19:47,587 --> 00:19:51,422
an unbelievable tale
raises debate among scholars.
352
00:19:54,627 --> 00:19:58,429
The miraculous crossing
of the red sea has to be
353
00:19:58,531 --> 00:20:01,098
the most -- one of the most
stunning, incredible events
354
00:20:01,201 --> 00:20:03,034
in the old testament.
355
00:20:03,136 --> 00:20:06,637
It's the fact that moses
is able to lead
356
00:20:06,739 --> 00:20:08,706
the jewish people,
the israelites,
357
00:20:08,808 --> 00:20:11,909
out of egypt through what
seems like an impossible
358
00:20:12,011 --> 00:20:13,110
stretch of water.
359
00:20:13,213 --> 00:20:16,681
And then, as the egyptians
come chasing after them,
360
00:20:16,783 --> 00:20:20,585
god closes the sea in on
pharaoh and his hundreds of
361
00:20:20,687 --> 00:20:22,220
chariots, drowning them all.
362
00:20:24,991 --> 00:20:27,692
Narrator: But could this really
have happened in the red sea
363
00:20:27,794 --> 00:20:28,759
we know today?
364
00:20:29,929 --> 00:20:31,629
The very name of
the body of water
365
00:20:31,731 --> 00:20:35,233
moses crossed may have been
mistakenly identified
366
00:20:35,335 --> 00:20:36,334
for centuries.
367
00:20:38,638 --> 00:20:42,106
I'm not entirely sure where
the mistranslation of "red sea"
368
00:20:42,208 --> 00:20:44,041
comes from -- it's in hebrew,
yam suph,
369
00:20:44,143 --> 00:20:45,309
which is reed sea.
370
00:20:46,946 --> 00:20:50,047
It may have bean that someone
wrote "reed sea,"
371
00:20:50,183 --> 00:20:52,583
and then it was missed out,
372
00:20:52,685 --> 00:20:54,518
the e got dropped,
and actually, in hebrew,
373
00:20:54,621 --> 00:20:55,753
that happens quite frequently
374
00:20:55,855 --> 00:20:59,090
that manuscripts would have
been repeatedly written down
375
00:20:59,192 --> 00:21:01,859
by hand, and little errors
will creep in.
376
00:21:03,029 --> 00:21:05,730
I think red sea will be pretty
hard to get rid of now.
377
00:21:05,832 --> 00:21:09,133
It's pretty much embedded
in how we tell the story.
378
00:21:09,235 --> 00:21:12,136
Narrator: Regardless of whether
moses crossed the red sea
379
00:21:12,238 --> 00:21:14,572
or the reed sea,
380
00:21:14,674 --> 00:21:18,075
can science proved he was
capable of parting the waves?
381
00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,221
Narrator: The bible tells us
that moses led his followers
382
00:21:30,323 --> 00:21:33,624
to safety by parting
the waters of the red sea.
383
00:21:34,761 --> 00:21:37,762
But could the fantastical
event really have happened in
384
00:21:37,864 --> 00:21:41,966
the red sea we know today or
another nearby body of water?
385
00:21:43,569 --> 00:21:45,903
Simon boxall
is an oceanographer
386
00:21:46,005 --> 00:21:49,073
from southampton university
in England.
387
00:21:49,175 --> 00:21:52,176
He evaluates the modern
scientific ideas
388
00:21:52,278 --> 00:21:54,578
that explain this mysterious
sea crossing.
389
00:21:54,681 --> 00:22:01,786
♪
390
00:22:01,888 --> 00:22:05,122
boxall: There are many theories
that go with this story.
391
00:22:06,292 --> 00:22:07,491
One is that around
392
00:22:07,593 --> 00:22:11,696
about the same time, we know
that there was a huge explosion,
393
00:22:11,798 --> 00:22:15,566
volcanic explosion,
eruption, on santorini,
394
00:22:15,668 --> 00:22:18,903
and that basically caused
a huge tsunami.
395
00:22:19,005 --> 00:22:21,472
And one theory is that
it was a tsunami that
396
00:22:21,574 --> 00:22:24,442
came at just the right time
to allow them to cross.
397
00:22:24,544 --> 00:22:28,346
Now the theory there is flawed,
it's flawed for two reasons.
398
00:22:28,448 --> 00:22:31,315
One is, if you look at models
of the tsunami that would have
399
00:22:31,417 --> 00:22:33,718
occurred, then the island chain,
400
00:22:33,820 --> 00:22:36,754
crete, to the south off
santorini, would have protected
401
00:22:36,856 --> 00:22:39,256
the egyptian coast,
and the biggest tsunami that
402
00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:40,458
would've got there would have
been about a meter,
403
00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,159
a meter and 1/2,
404
00:22:42,228 --> 00:22:44,862
and when a tsunami hits,
405
00:22:44,964 --> 00:22:48,265
the tide or the water can
recede for a short while
406
00:22:48,368 --> 00:22:50,501
and then come back in again.
407
00:22:50,603 --> 00:22:53,204
That's great --
the problem with that is,
408
00:22:53,306 --> 00:22:55,406
that it only happens
for about five minutes,
409
00:22:55,508 --> 00:22:58,175
and you're not going
to get an entire army
410
00:22:58,277 --> 00:23:02,546
or population across that sort
of causeway in that period.
411
00:23:04,016 --> 00:23:06,217
A second theory
that's put down is that
412
00:23:06,319 --> 00:23:09,353
the bible talks about
strong winds from the east.
413
00:23:10,823 --> 00:23:13,758
The idea that the wind
literally blows the sea
414
00:23:13,860 --> 00:23:15,893
and creates
a pileup somewhere,
415
00:23:15,995 --> 00:23:18,195
which means you then get
a sort of gap somewhere else,
416
00:23:18,297 --> 00:23:20,030
is flawed --
it's flawed
417
00:23:20,133 --> 00:23:22,433
because the effect
isn't that great.
418
00:23:22,535 --> 00:23:24,835
You're not going to suddenly
clear a causeway
419
00:23:24,937 --> 00:23:26,137
as a result of that setdown.
420
00:23:29,809 --> 00:23:32,510
Narrator: Back in his lab,
simon demonstrates how
421
00:23:32,612 --> 00:23:35,413
he believes the sea crossing
really took place.
422
00:23:40,019 --> 00:23:42,586
Boxall: I think the reason
that the seas parted
423
00:23:42,688 --> 00:23:44,955
was because of a seiche effect.
424
00:23:45,057 --> 00:23:46,857
Now that sounds very technical,
but actually it's
425
00:23:46,959 --> 00:23:49,660
something that happens around
the world every single day,
426
00:23:49,762 --> 00:23:51,061
and it's...
427
00:23:51,164 --> 00:23:55,199
An event hitting the natural
frequency of a basin.
428
00:23:55,301 --> 00:23:58,335
That also sounds complex,
but we've done it as kids.
429
00:23:58,438 --> 00:23:59,670
If we lay back in the bath
430
00:23:59,772 --> 00:24:01,505
and rock backwards
and forwards at just
431
00:24:01,607 --> 00:24:02,873
the right speed,
432
00:24:02,975 --> 00:24:04,442
then we suddenly take
the water with us,
433
00:24:04,544 --> 00:24:06,477
and we can actually
effectively empty half a ton
434
00:24:06,579 --> 00:24:09,079
of water onto the floor
very efficiently.
435
00:24:09,182 --> 00:24:10,714
You could do that
from splashing,
436
00:24:10,817 --> 00:24:13,517
and that's because we're
hitting the critical frequency,
437
00:24:13,619 --> 00:24:16,153
and we can see that in
a very simple experiment here.
438
00:24:16,255 --> 00:24:19,356
We have a bottle of water,
and that bottle of water,
439
00:24:19,459 --> 00:24:21,325
you can imagine
that is your red sea,
440
00:24:21,427 --> 00:24:24,228
and actually, I can sort of
create disturbances,
441
00:24:24,330 --> 00:24:26,263
and I can create waves --
it splashes around a bit.
442
00:24:26,365 --> 00:24:27,798
Yeah, storms happen.
443
00:24:27,900 --> 00:24:29,600
But actually, if I hit
the right frequency,
444
00:24:29,702 --> 00:24:31,335
if I can just find
the frequency in that bottle,
445
00:24:31,437 --> 00:24:34,939
and I move it very gently,
side to side, then effectively,
446
00:24:35,041 --> 00:24:38,242
I'm like the child in
the bath, emptying the bath out.
447
00:24:38,344 --> 00:24:41,879
And suddenly, you've gone
from a tide out here,
448
00:24:41,981 --> 00:24:44,782
which is maybe
two or three feet,
449
00:24:44,884 --> 00:24:48,486
to a tide in here,
which could be 60 feet.
450
00:24:48,588 --> 00:24:50,254
Now that doesn't happen
in the red sea,
451
00:24:50,356 --> 00:24:53,390
but we know the fact that
the tide at the top of
452
00:24:53,493 --> 00:24:55,826
the channel of the red sea,
453
00:24:55,928 --> 00:24:59,830
the suez channel, go from
one or two feet outside,
454
00:24:59,932 --> 00:25:01,999
inside the channel,
at the top of the channel,
455
00:25:02,101 --> 00:25:04,068
they go almost 15 feet.
456
00:25:04,170 --> 00:25:07,838
That's a huge difference --
if you come from a culture that
457
00:25:07,940 --> 00:25:10,140
only sees tides on
the mediterranean along
458
00:25:10,243 --> 00:25:11,775
the red sea coast of
459
00:25:11,878 --> 00:25:13,344
a few -- one or two feet,
460
00:25:13,446 --> 00:25:15,713
you're not prepared for
these huge tides,
461
00:25:15,815 --> 00:25:18,415
which are over ten times
as big.
462
00:25:19,519 --> 00:25:21,719
And that big
four-meter tide
463
00:25:21,821 --> 00:25:24,221
was more than sufficient
to wipe out an army.
464
00:25:26,526 --> 00:25:28,392
Narrator: While nature
may have allowed the hebrews
465
00:25:28,494 --> 00:25:29,994
to cross the sea,
466
00:25:30,096 --> 00:25:32,363
simon thinks moses
may possibly have
467
00:25:32,465 --> 00:25:34,164
had an important role to play.
468
00:25:39,205 --> 00:25:41,672
Boxall: What moses might have
done, if he's observant
469
00:25:41,774 --> 00:25:43,874
and canny, was observe
470
00:25:43,976 --> 00:25:46,744
that the tides existed,
the tides were high,
471
00:25:46,846 --> 00:25:50,314
that actually he had a narrow
window, but enough of a window,
472
00:25:50,416 --> 00:25:52,316
to lead his people to safety
473
00:25:52,418 --> 00:25:53,717
and to actually
not only do that,
474
00:25:53,819 --> 00:25:57,488
but then inundate
the pursuing army with
475
00:25:57,623 --> 00:25:59,657
an incoming tide.
476
00:25:59,759 --> 00:26:01,325
And so...
477
00:26:01,427 --> 00:26:03,394
Was moses a magician?
478
00:26:03,496 --> 00:26:05,195
No, but like many magicians,
479
00:26:05,298 --> 00:26:07,464
he was clever
and applied science.
480
00:26:12,605 --> 00:26:14,905
Narrator: Yet some speculate
that moses actually
481
00:26:15,007 --> 00:26:18,943
was a conjurer with
supernatural powers.
482
00:26:19,045 --> 00:26:22,413
Witch, priestess, and magician,
carrie kirkpatrick,
483
00:26:22,515 --> 00:26:25,015
believes moses's
egyptian upbringing
484
00:26:25,117 --> 00:26:27,785
may have given him
a grounding in magic.
485
00:26:31,290 --> 00:26:33,290
Kirkpatrick: It's very likely
that moses was
486
00:26:33,392 --> 00:26:36,260
a magician in egyptian
noble circles.
487
00:26:36,362 --> 00:26:38,862
It was not a big deal
to learn about magic.
488
00:26:38,965 --> 00:26:40,064
It was part of the culture.
489
00:26:40,166 --> 00:26:42,166
It would be part of
the everyday education.
490
00:26:42,268 --> 00:26:45,936
So it's very likely that all
of these miracles that we see
491
00:26:46,038 --> 00:26:47,571
that have been attributed to god
492
00:26:47,673 --> 00:26:51,475
were actually spells
cast by moses himself,
493
00:26:51,577 --> 00:26:54,912
using the training that
he had been given in egypt.
494
00:26:59,485 --> 00:27:02,453
Narrator: The suspicion that
moses may have possessed magical
495
00:27:02,555 --> 00:27:06,824
or supernatural abilities was
amplified with the discovery of
496
00:27:06,926 --> 00:27:11,095
the sixth and seventh books of
moses, a collection of hidden
497
00:27:11,197 --> 00:27:14,865
texts allegedly written
by the man himself.
498
00:27:19,171 --> 00:27:21,505
Mcmahon: The sixth and seventh
books of moses are
499
00:27:21,607 --> 00:27:25,442
particularly mysterious,
because they try and explain
500
00:27:25,544 --> 00:27:27,244
through magic
501
00:27:27,346 --> 00:27:30,581
how the miracles in the story
of exodus happened.
502
00:27:32,818 --> 00:27:37,287
These books appear about 200
years ago in germany, and then
503
00:27:37,390 --> 00:27:41,225
immigrants take them
to the united states, where,
504
00:27:41,327 --> 00:27:43,494
for whatever reason,
they're adopted quite
505
00:27:43,596 --> 00:27:46,664
enthusiastically by the
african-american communities,
506
00:27:46,766 --> 00:27:49,266
religious communities,
and in the caribbean.
507
00:27:49,368 --> 00:27:52,770
And many of the spells, a lot
of the magic in those books,
508
00:27:52,872 --> 00:27:56,774
are used, actually in practical
cures back in those days
509
00:27:56,876 --> 00:27:58,475
to treat people.
510
00:28:00,579 --> 00:28:02,413
Kirkpatrick: We can't really
know for sure
511
00:28:02,515 --> 00:28:03,947
that moses wrote the sixth
512
00:28:04,050 --> 00:28:06,150
and the seventh books,
however,
513
00:28:06,252 --> 00:28:08,952
you can see in the book of
exodus that the use of magic
514
00:28:09,055 --> 00:28:10,454
was expressly forbidden.
515
00:28:10,556 --> 00:28:12,389
So you wouldn't say that if it
516
00:28:12,491 --> 00:28:14,625
wasn't a problem
or regarded as a problem.
517
00:28:14,727 --> 00:28:15,959
It's a bit like prohibition.
518
00:28:16,062 --> 00:28:18,328
They wouldn't have brought it
in if alcohol wasn't a problem.
519
00:28:21,100 --> 00:28:23,100
Narrator: Aside from
the miracles of moses,
520
00:28:23,202 --> 00:28:25,135
are there
more concrete things
521
00:28:25,237 --> 00:28:27,237
that history can prove,
522
00:28:27,339 --> 00:28:30,708
such as the true location of
mount sinai?
523
00:28:30,810 --> 00:28:34,178
And could archaeological
evidence show that the spot
524
00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:36,580
venerated by pilgrims
for centuries
525
00:28:36,682 --> 00:28:39,516
isn't the legendary site
after all?
526
00:28:50,830 --> 00:28:54,031
Narrator:
Who was the real moses?
527
00:28:54,133 --> 00:28:56,200
Is there
a historical figure behind
528
00:28:56,302 --> 00:28:59,670
the religious legend and tales
of fantastic miracles?
529
00:29:01,273 --> 00:29:02,539
While it is hard
to unearth
530
00:29:02,641 --> 00:29:05,809
concrete evidence
for his exploits and deeds,
531
00:29:05,911 --> 00:29:08,912
can we pinpoint the locations
he's associated with?
532
00:29:10,015 --> 00:29:13,150
One of the most famous
must be mount sinai.
533
00:29:18,090 --> 00:29:20,824
Mcmahon: Mount sinai has this
huge significance, obviously,
534
00:29:20,926 --> 00:29:22,626
for jews, christians,
535
00:29:22,728 --> 00:29:27,765
muslims, because that's where
moses gets the ten commandments.
536
00:29:29,802 --> 00:29:32,970
That's where he meets god,
and god gives him
537
00:29:33,072 --> 00:29:35,873
the laws that are gonna
govern his people,
538
00:29:35,975 --> 00:29:38,542
the believers.
Moses comes down,
539
00:29:38,644 --> 00:29:41,345
of course, finds the israelites
worshipping a golden calf,
540
00:29:41,447 --> 00:29:43,280
smashes them angrily,
has to go
541
00:29:43,382 --> 00:29:45,649
back up the mountain
and get them all over again.
542
00:29:45,751 --> 00:29:49,887
But it's for that reason that
this mountain is so sacred.
543
00:29:54,026 --> 00:29:55,859
Narrator:
For hundreds of years,
544
00:29:55,961 --> 00:29:58,228
it has been accepted
that jebel-musa
545
00:29:58,330 --> 00:30:01,598
in the sinai peninsula of
egypt is the legendary
546
00:30:01,700 --> 00:30:02,633
mount sinai.
547
00:30:04,136 --> 00:30:06,103
But is this correct?
548
00:30:06,205 --> 00:30:08,806
Phillips: Interestingly,
the bible doesn't tell us
549
00:30:08,908 --> 00:30:11,141
directly where
mount sinai is.
550
00:30:11,243 --> 00:30:13,610
It is just somewhere
in the sinai wilderness,
551
00:30:13,712 --> 00:30:17,514
which is a huge expanse
east of the red sea.
552
00:30:19,351 --> 00:30:23,687
The emperor constantine
decided it was a place
553
00:30:23,789 --> 00:30:26,023
now called jebel-musa,
554
00:30:26,125 --> 00:30:31,061
meaning the mount of moses,
which is in eastern egypt
555
00:30:31,163 --> 00:30:33,630
within the sinai wilderness.
556
00:30:33,732 --> 00:30:37,334
And he came up with that idea,
because his mother had had
557
00:30:37,436 --> 00:30:40,571
a dream that that's where
it was, and a monastery was
558
00:30:40,673 --> 00:30:43,307
founded there,
but there's no historical
559
00:30:43,409 --> 00:30:45,742
or archaeological evidence
to support it.
560
00:30:50,115 --> 00:30:52,416
Narrator:
Since the mid-19th century,
561
00:30:52,518 --> 00:30:54,151
debate has raged between
562
00:30:54,253 --> 00:30:57,688
scholars on where
this holy site actually is,
563
00:30:57,823 --> 00:31:00,257
with over ten possible
locations given.
564
00:31:01,727 --> 00:31:02,960
After excavations by
565
00:31:03,062 --> 00:31:06,263
the english archaeologist
sir flinders petrie
566
00:31:06,365 --> 00:31:08,332
in the 1900s,
567
00:31:08,434 --> 00:31:10,367
serabit el-khadim
568
00:31:10,469 --> 00:31:12,669
has emerged as
a likely candidate.
569
00:31:15,541 --> 00:31:20,444
Serabit el-khadim is
the 600-pound gorilla in
570
00:31:20,546 --> 00:31:23,680
the story of moses that no one
is really talking about.
571
00:31:26,185 --> 00:31:27,317
I've been there.
572
00:31:27,419 --> 00:31:31,054
It's an incredible place,
excavated by petrie, who found
573
00:31:31,156 --> 00:31:34,625
lots of temples of hathor,
574
00:31:34,727 --> 00:31:39,096
the bull god that moses
is known to have banned,
575
00:31:39,198 --> 00:31:44,101
but also,
writing in semitic language,
576
00:31:44,203 --> 00:31:47,237
which you'd still see
on the temple walls,
577
00:31:47,339 --> 00:31:49,339
proto-semitic,
578
00:31:49,441 --> 00:31:54,244
a language that is associated
with the people of israel.
579
00:31:56,382 --> 00:31:58,815
Narrator: Excavations
at serabit el-khadim
580
00:31:58,918 --> 00:32:01,919
also revealed possible
animal sacrifices
581
00:32:02,021 --> 00:32:03,553
and ritual washing,
582
00:32:03,656 --> 00:32:06,823
religious practices
not commonly associated with
583
00:32:06,926 --> 00:32:10,827
egyptian worship
but hebrew ceremonies.
584
00:32:10,930 --> 00:32:12,729
In addition,
there is evidence for
585
00:32:12,831 --> 00:32:16,033
the mining of materials
important to the jewish people.
586
00:32:17,269 --> 00:32:20,370
Gough: There's evidence of
jewish worship
587
00:32:20,472 --> 00:32:23,173
at a place
where there shouldn't be.
588
00:32:23,275 --> 00:32:26,143
There's evidence of
the creation of
589
00:32:26,245 --> 00:32:28,946
the jewish alphabet here.
590
00:32:29,048 --> 00:32:34,751
And thirdly, there's evidence
of artisans, of mining of
591
00:32:34,853 --> 00:32:36,053
turquoise and copper,
592
00:32:36,155 --> 00:32:40,290
the kinds of people
who could have constructed
593
00:32:40,392 --> 00:32:43,226
the ten commandments
and tablets.
594
00:32:45,431 --> 00:32:47,331
And if that's not enough,
595
00:32:47,433 --> 00:32:51,668
there's also tablets shaped
like the image we're told
596
00:32:51,770 --> 00:32:54,371
the ten commandments
were written in.
597
00:32:57,543 --> 00:33:01,878
All the scholars argue that
moses would have stopped there
598
00:33:01,981 --> 00:33:05,649
on his path of the exodus
to the promised land,
599
00:33:05,751 --> 00:33:09,853
but what very few want
to acknowledge is that
600
00:33:09,955 --> 00:33:13,757
this could very well have been
the true mount sinai.
601
00:33:13,859 --> 00:33:19,763
♪
602
00:33:19,865 --> 00:33:22,199
narrator: But author
and historian graham phillips
603
00:33:22,301 --> 00:33:24,568
has another radical idea.
604
00:33:24,670 --> 00:33:27,571
He believes the historical
mount sinai is
605
00:33:27,673 --> 00:33:31,675
actually found 150 miles away
in jordan,
606
00:33:31,777 --> 00:33:33,977
near the ancient city
of petra.
607
00:33:38,650 --> 00:33:42,085
Phillips: When I got there,
I found so many things
608
00:33:42,187 --> 00:33:45,455
that tied up with
the description of mount sinai
609
00:33:45,590 --> 00:33:48,158
in the bible
that I was literally,
610
00:33:48,260 --> 00:33:51,161
I don't know, flabbergasted,
knocked off my feet,
611
00:33:51,263 --> 00:33:54,931
to how many similarities
there where between this place
612
00:33:55,034 --> 00:33:56,433
and the biblical description
613
00:33:56,535 --> 00:33:59,803
that seem to have
been completely overlooked
614
00:33:59,905 --> 00:34:01,938
by previous historians.
615
00:34:04,009 --> 00:34:07,144
Gough: The theory that
graham phillips has put forward,
616
00:34:07,246 --> 00:34:12,816
that mount sinai is actually
in petra, is very viable,
617
00:34:12,918 --> 00:34:18,155
and that's because the whole
valley around petra is within
618
00:34:18,257 --> 00:34:23,860
the right distance of where the
exodus started from in egypt.
619
00:34:25,464 --> 00:34:29,266
His brother, aaron,
is buried there,
620
00:34:29,368 --> 00:34:31,902
and on top of the mountain
621
00:34:32,004 --> 00:34:35,138
that graham suggests
is mount sinai,
622
00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:38,542
there's actually architecture,
there's temples,
623
00:34:38,644 --> 00:34:43,480
there's pillars, just like
are stated in the bible.
624
00:34:44,817 --> 00:34:48,185
Mcmahon: Clues there include
the fact that the valley
625
00:34:48,287 --> 00:34:51,288
in which petra is based
is called the wadi musa,
626
00:34:51,423 --> 00:34:55,292
the valley of moses, and there
is a rock, the ain musa,
627
00:34:55,394 --> 00:34:57,727
the rock of moses,
where the water is said
628
00:34:57,830 --> 00:34:59,563
to have spouted out,
and it would
629
00:34:59,665 --> 00:35:02,165
make a lot more
sense for petra to be
630
00:35:02,267 --> 00:35:05,669
the location as a major trade
and commercial hub back in
631
00:35:05,771 --> 00:35:07,337
those days than somewhere,
632
00:35:07,473 --> 00:35:10,340
some dusty hole, at the bottom
of the sinai peninsula.
633
00:35:12,077 --> 00:35:14,010
Narrator:
Yet moses's most important
634
00:35:14,113 --> 00:35:16,613
legacy is giving
the ten commandments
635
00:35:16,715 --> 00:35:18,582
to the jewish people.
636
00:35:18,684 --> 00:35:20,817
While the inscribed tablets
most likely
637
00:35:20,919 --> 00:35:23,653
have not survived
to modern times,
638
00:35:23,755 --> 00:35:26,323
could their origins
be less miraculous
639
00:35:26,425 --> 00:35:28,258
than the famous story
tells us?
640
00:35:37,302 --> 00:35:38,935
Narrator:
For thousands of years,
641
00:35:39,037 --> 00:35:41,071
the biblical figure of moses has
642
00:35:41,173 --> 00:35:44,007
been associated
with amazing miracles,
643
00:35:44,109 --> 00:35:46,510
with some alleging he might
actually have possessed
644
00:35:46,612 --> 00:35:47,811
magical powers.
645
00:35:51,083 --> 00:35:53,250
Whether miracle or magic,
646
00:35:53,352 --> 00:35:56,520
he had one
indispensable possession --
647
00:35:56,622 --> 00:35:57,654
his staff.
648
00:35:58,724 --> 00:36:00,590
Phillips: Again and again,
649
00:36:00,692 --> 00:36:04,461
moses is associated with
a miraculous staff.
650
00:36:07,032 --> 00:36:09,900
When he first encounters god
at the burning bush,
651
00:36:10,002 --> 00:36:14,104
he has this staff with him,
and god says that he would imbue
652
00:36:14,206 --> 00:36:16,940
this staff with
miraculous powers.
653
00:36:18,043 --> 00:36:21,111
Kirkpatrick: A magician always
has a wand or a staff.
654
00:36:21,213 --> 00:36:22,312
It's like a conduit
655
00:36:22,414 --> 00:36:26,049
for focusing his will
and controlling the energies
656
00:36:26,151 --> 00:36:27,184
and making things happen,
657
00:36:27,319 --> 00:36:30,253
effecting change -- it's
a kind of directional tool.
658
00:36:30,355 --> 00:36:33,557
Even today, druids,
magicians, will use
659
00:36:33,659 --> 00:36:35,959
a wand or a staff
in their practice.
660
00:36:39,498 --> 00:36:42,299
Narrator: Intriguingly,
graham phillips believes
661
00:36:42,401 --> 00:36:46,203
he knows where this mythical
relic is kept today.
662
00:36:46,305 --> 00:36:50,540
His theory relies on moses's
link to snakes.
663
00:36:50,642 --> 00:36:54,911
It's said that moses's staff
was once turned into a serpent,
664
00:36:55,013 --> 00:36:59,015
and an intriguing snake-themed
monument has been discovered
665
00:36:59,117 --> 00:37:00,083
at petra.
666
00:37:03,155 --> 00:37:05,722
Phillips: In the mid-1800s,
667
00:37:05,824 --> 00:37:08,725
a cave
near the snake monument was
668
00:37:08,827 --> 00:37:11,494
excavated by a couple of
english archaeologists
669
00:37:11,597 --> 00:37:13,496
and they found a tomb there.
670
00:37:13,599 --> 00:37:16,833
There was no body any longer
in it, but it didn't have a few
671
00:37:16,935 --> 00:37:18,335
items remaining,
672
00:37:18,437 --> 00:37:22,906
the most important of which
was a staff with egyptian
673
00:37:23,008 --> 00:37:27,143
hieroglyphics on it,
an egyptian staff
674
00:37:27,246 --> 00:37:29,879
at the city of petra
675
00:37:29,982 --> 00:37:31,948
in southern jordan.
676
00:37:35,721 --> 00:37:36,753
What was it doing there?
677
00:37:36,855 --> 00:37:40,757
Clearly, somebody from egypt
had been buried
678
00:37:40,859 --> 00:37:43,526
in this tomb
below the snake monument.
679
00:37:46,698 --> 00:37:50,166
Now, if my theory is
all right,
680
00:37:50,269 --> 00:37:53,036
then the snake monument
681
00:37:53,138 --> 00:37:58,308
is erected in memory of moses,
and this tomb could be
682
00:37:58,410 --> 00:38:01,278
the tomb of
an historical moses.
683
00:38:04,883 --> 00:38:06,783
Narrator: So could
this discovery really be
684
00:38:06,885 --> 00:38:08,785
moses's legendary staff?
685
00:38:09,821 --> 00:38:12,055
For such a possibly important
artifact for
686
00:38:12,157 --> 00:38:14,557
three of the world's
main religions,
687
00:38:14,660 --> 00:38:18,028
its home today is in
a quiet corner of England.
688
00:38:20,032 --> 00:38:24,200
The staff of moses,
today, is here
689
00:38:24,303 --> 00:38:27,570
at the birmingham museum
in central England.
690
00:38:29,441 --> 00:38:33,076
Upon the staff there are
hieroglyphics telling us
691
00:38:33,178 --> 00:38:37,447
that the staff had belonged
to someone called thutmosis,
692
00:38:37,549 --> 00:38:40,250
who held a high position at
693
00:38:40,352 --> 00:38:45,155
the egyptian court
around about 1350 bc.
694
00:38:46,191 --> 00:38:49,392
Now the historical moses,
695
00:38:49,494 --> 00:38:52,295
according to my research, was
696
00:38:52,397 --> 00:38:57,400
a man called thutmosis, who held
just such a position at exactly
697
00:38:57,502 --> 00:39:00,570
the time that moses
is said to have been
698
00:39:00,672 --> 00:39:03,707
high in the egyptian court.
699
00:39:03,809 --> 00:39:08,578
As such, the staff of
thutmosis could be one
700
00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:12,549
and the same as the staff
of the biblical moses.
701
00:39:16,455 --> 00:39:18,588
Narrator: It may be debatable
whether the staff in
702
00:39:18,690 --> 00:39:21,024
the birmingham museum
is really that of
703
00:39:21,126 --> 00:39:22,826
the biblical moses,
704
00:39:22,928 --> 00:39:24,461
but the egyptian
influence over
705
00:39:24,563 --> 00:39:26,296
this religious figure
was strong.
706
00:39:29,801 --> 00:39:32,602
Controversially,
the ten commandments are alleged
707
00:39:32,704 --> 00:39:36,172
to be plagiarized from
an earlier egyptian tradition.
708
00:39:38,510 --> 00:39:41,845
Bianchi: The ten commandments
are prohibitions that
709
00:39:41,947 --> 00:39:44,147
the faithful, the moral,
the ethical
710
00:39:44,249 --> 00:39:45,982
should not indulge in.
711
00:39:46,084 --> 00:39:49,919
Don't covet your neighbor's
wife, don't commit adultery,
712
00:39:50,021 --> 00:39:52,355
don't murder
an individual, etcetera.
713
00:39:52,457 --> 00:39:53,957
And the interesting
thing about
714
00:39:54,059 --> 00:39:57,026
the ten commandments is
they resonate
715
00:39:57,129 --> 00:39:58,928
with the so-called
negative confession
716
00:39:59,030 --> 00:40:00,764
chapter 125 of the book
of the dead
717
00:40:00,866 --> 00:40:01,998
of the ancient egyptians.
718
00:40:03,735 --> 00:40:06,970
Pinknett: This was a formula,
lines, if you like,
719
00:40:07,072 --> 00:40:09,973
that they had to learn
to say in the afterlife
720
00:40:10,075 --> 00:40:11,741
when they were
in the halls of justice,
721
00:40:11,843 --> 00:40:13,610
and their souls were being
weighed in the balance,
722
00:40:13,712 --> 00:40:15,345
and they stood there,
and they said,
723
00:40:15,447 --> 00:40:17,180
"I have not committed adultery.
724
00:40:17,282 --> 00:40:19,282
"I have not borne
false witness.
725
00:40:19,384 --> 00:40:20,650
I have not killed."
726
00:40:20,786 --> 00:40:23,920
and it was supposed to
get you off
727
00:40:24,022 --> 00:40:25,889
all the punishments
of the afterlife.
728
00:40:27,292 --> 00:40:32,796
Gough: Did moses draw upon
an earlier edict
729
00:40:32,898 --> 00:40:36,666
and say they were written
by the finger of god?
730
00:40:40,672 --> 00:40:42,205
Narrator:
Without concrete evidence,
731
00:40:42,307 --> 00:40:44,808
the historical
and biblical moses
732
00:40:44,910 --> 00:40:47,577
will probably remain
elusive forever.
733
00:40:48,780 --> 00:40:52,182
But these tantalizing clues
might just give us
734
00:40:52,284 --> 00:40:53,983
a glimpse of the real man.
735
00:40:56,121 --> 00:40:58,488
Young-somers: In my view,
moses may have been
736
00:40:58,623 --> 00:41:00,056
a real figure who lived,
737
00:41:00,158 --> 00:41:03,993
but I don't know, and I like
the not knowing, and for me,
738
00:41:04,095 --> 00:41:06,563
actually, the importance
isn't whether
739
00:41:06,665 --> 00:41:08,498
or not moses literally lived.
740
00:41:09,601 --> 00:41:11,267
Gough: Moses appears
to have been an archetype,
741
00:41:11,369 --> 00:41:14,337
but if he was
an historical person,
742
00:41:14,439 --> 00:41:19,175
I know of no better historical
inspiration than that of
743
00:41:19,277 --> 00:41:21,945
the heretic king
who introduced monotheism,
744
00:41:22,047 --> 00:41:23,746
akhenaten.
745
00:41:27,886 --> 00:41:30,887
Even when the egyptians
lose a battle,
746
00:41:30,989 --> 00:41:33,056
they portray themselves
as the victors.
747
00:41:33,158 --> 00:41:36,092
So it's very, very hard for me
to believe that a story
748
00:41:36,194 --> 00:41:37,460
that paints the egyptians
749
00:41:37,562 --> 00:41:39,662
in such a horrible light
could have
750
00:41:39,764 --> 00:41:42,098
possibly had
an egyptian origin.
751
00:41:43,168 --> 00:41:45,401
Young-somers: I think
it's inevitable that,
752
00:41:45,504 --> 00:41:47,737
as such an important figure,
753
00:41:47,839 --> 00:41:51,174
he's going to create
interest and intrigue,
754
00:41:51,276 --> 00:41:54,711
and we're going to want to try
to understand as much as we can,
755
00:41:54,813 --> 00:41:56,379
because there is so much
that's interesting
756
00:41:56,481 --> 00:41:57,914
and so much
that's mysterious.
757
00:41:58,016 --> 00:42:03,186
♪
63131
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