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Rating: 
Summary: Where are the pictures?
Review: An excellent read that should convince us that the exodus took place more or less how it says it did. My biggest complaint is that there are no pictures of his Mt. Sinai or of any of the sites in Saudi Arabia. There is a reference to a satellite photo of the volcano, but no photo, drawing or contour map!
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Summary: Its been done!
Review: At my local Barnes and Nobles I picked up and leafed thru a copy.
All I read was the same rehash of ideas done decades before. Immanuel Velikovsky and Werner Keller. This has offered nothing new to those who have been studying this Biblical drama as long as the author if not longer.
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Summary: A Serious and Entertaining Explanation of the Exodus Story
Review: Colin Humphreys, a Cambridge University Physicist, has produced a complete and coherent natural/scientific explanation of the 'miracles' of Exodus that deserves to be widely read and seriously considered, whether or not one agrees with 100% of his arguments or inferences. It is, in fact, the author's intention to stimulate discussion of the historicity of the written story of Exodus using scientific and rational arguments. His identification of the locations of Mt. Sinai and the 'Re(e)d Sea' crossing, and his explanation for how the crossing occurred, are by far the most interesting parts of the book and these chapters alone make the entire book worth reading. The book is written in an entertaining style so that one is immediately caught up in the author's personal detective story concerning other Exodus mysteries such as how the plagues occurred and in the sequence they did, or the route taken by the Israelites out of Egypt, as well as more minor yet fascinating issues such as how the burning bush burned without being consumed, how Pharaoh entrapped the host, why Pharaoh didn't further pursue the host, or even really minor yet still fascintating questions such as how bitter water was made sweet, or how the feast of quails occurred and what the heck is 'mana' anyway and was does it dissolve in the sun? The book is a cornucopia of interesting information and insights. His explanations of the events in the Exodus story draw upon a variety of scientific disciplines and historical sources. He employs sound logical inferences in making his arguments concerning the plagues, routes, events and site locations involved in the story, and even his speculations are not so wild as to be discarded out of hand. Importantly, he clearly distinguishes between the scientifc facts presented and his own interpretations and inferences, including the degree to which he feels he is 'strectching'. The book is thus a serious attempt to provide valid answers to the many perplexing issues of this most famous story. Yes, he is a Christian, and yes he does believe in the authenticity of the Old Testament, but on the latter point he is far from being alone, even among agnostics, since more and more research (particularly archaeological) has shown that the Old Testament is a remarkably accurate 'family history' that deals mostly with actual events recorded factually. There is neither Christian proselytizing nor alien wackiness in this book, just a serious yet entertainingly written and truly fascinating thesis that is complete, coherent (perhaps occassionally 'strechted') but extremely engaging read. I recommend it highly.
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Summary: Fascinating facts; too little common sense
Review: Humphreys, with near-childish glee, marshals an interesting array of geographical and historical facts bearing on his subject, making this a fascinating book to read. But the central fact to keep in mind is that this author, for all his education and attention to detail, possesses a naive mentality such that he expects us to find it credible that Moses' miracle of the parting of the Red Sea occurred by means of a continuous eighty-mile-per-hour crosswind that literally blew the sea back over a period of hours and held it there for the crossing. Humphreys expects his readers to believe that 20,000 Israelites, with small children and elderly people, flocks, herds and supplies, could have walked across in a constant 80-mile crosswind! In real life, winds of that hurricane velocity prevent even strong men from standing without hanging onto trees and poles. The idea of walking in an 80-MPH crosswind is just nutty. And there's lots more of that kind of wackiness here, alongside many valid and fascinating facts.
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Summary: Questions lead to more questions.
Review: I am currently taking a class on the Old Testament. In searching for supplemental reading on the Book of Exodus, I happened on this book and am very pleased that I took the time to read it. While I was not very keen on some of the writing style, which at times is almost too provincial to a fault, I was enthralled to see where common sense and logic led this author. He politely sets a hypothesis and then provides evidence to either come to his conclusion or to conclude that more evidence is needed. His sytematic questioning leads to further questions in my mind. I know that there are always those individuals who feel that all of biblical history is factual as presented. Mr. Humphrey's writing will make the reader begin to question held assumptions. This is a very enjoyable read with well constructed chapters. The maps in the book are useful, but they should be more detailed. Also, a map of contemporary names for these areas should be included in future revisions. Indeed, I am very glad to have found this valuable book that will make you nod or shake your head.
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Summary: Really cool
Review: I thought this was a really fascinating book. Some readers may get a bit of a chuckle out of the author's exuberant and earnestly dramatic writing style, but that doesn't really matter much when his arguments are so well-defended. In particular, his discussion of the real Mt. Sinai is alone worth the price of the book. For hundreds of years, the most learned men on the planet scorned those who dared suggest that Homer's Iliad documented an actual battle, at an actual city - until Heinrich Schliemann (amateur) proved them all wrong. And amateur linguist Michael Ventris likewise showed up the scholars with his famous translation of Linear B script. I wonder if Mr. Humphreys (whose area of professional expertise lies elsewhere) may have done something similar here with his book. Basically every serious archaelogist in the world has dismissed the Exodus as largely (if not entirely) fictional; and yet, as Humphreys shows, many of these dismissive conclusions derive from probably flawed assumptions due to mistranslations, errant dating, etc. His ideas and evidences seem to make so much more sense than every other take on the events recorded in Exodus that it is hard to not to feel he is really on to something. This book's arguments are really intriguing. It's a great read regardless of whether one is a devout believer or a skeptic.
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Summary: Love biblical archaeology?
Review: Then pick this book up. Usually I'm skeptical on reading books that "solve" history problems, but the book was on sale, and I needed something to read. Now I can't stop reading it. Far from being written like a textbook (god knows I have enough of those to deal with), this is much more light. It's in the format of a story, with you and the author as the detective. He poses the questions to you, as the reader, to come up with your own conclusions.
I'm still not finished reading it, but I don't anticipate this book losing what I like best about it- the historical accuracy. In books like these, most authors will only show there view. Occasionally, for good measure, they'll stick in a comment from the opposing side (and usually in the process will belittle that person). Thats not the case here. The author actually made sure every step of the way his information was actually correct, and established that with assorted individuals with great credentials. Not only that, but he poses all plausible scenarios, with pros and cons for each. I might also add he's getting things right. I just took a few classes that can coincide with it, from some very conservative professors (not a bad thing for historians. I'm almost positive that if I handed them this book, they'd agree. Try doing that with a Graham Hancock book- you won't get far.
This book doesn't rewrite history, it simply provides an argument on some of the greatest mysteries surrounding the Exodus. Where was Mount Sinai? What routes did the Israelites take? He uses different types of sciences (archaeology, geology, etc) to answer these questions, as well as linguistics and generally history.
If you're concerned about the religious context, it can be taken either way. I'm not religious, but I love biblical archaeology. For those of you who are, fear not- the author states in the beginning of the book that far from disproving anything, he proves that the events of the Exodus were even more miraculous.
I would recommend this book to any history buff, whether professional or not. Even if you only have a slight interest in the topic matter, I'm sure this book will keep you reading.
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Summary: The most amazing story ever told?
Review: This is a fascinating and convincing account of a scientist's search for the actual route by which Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt to Mount Sinai. The writer displays wide interests and knowledge and yet writes in a highly readable way that any layman can understand. He shows clearly how and exactly where the Biblical story could have unfolded. Professor Humphreys is a Christian, who makes it clear that he sees the hand of God working through natural and scientifically explicable events. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to look beneath the miraculous surface of the story of Moses.
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Summary: Enthralling
Review: This is the kind of book I'd normally scan for a few main items of interest. Instead, I found myself reading every word and I couldn't read anything else until I had finished the book. Other reviewers (Paul Thomas, in particular) have given good accounts of what the book is about. Contrary to a couple of review comments, I found the author's relatively unsophisticated writing style to be a big plus. Humphreys, a man of obviously prodigious talents in several fields, writes in an easily understandable manner. I really liked the transparently human quality reflected in his excitement in finding potential solutions to this amazing puzzle. Unlike a lot of writng by academicians, it reflects a genuine person with a real life, emotions, and curiosity. Also, I think the one reviewer not buying every detail of Humphreys' theory is a bit misleading, if not unfair. There's way too much here that is highly credible and extremely interesting to take such a dismissive attitude. My only negative is that better maps and photos would have been nice. In sum, though, it's a truly fascinating read that radically brings to life the Exodus event; and it should spawn considerable discussion and debate for years to come.
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