| The Exodus Decoded | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover art | |
| Genre | Documentary Religion |
| Created by | Simcha Jacobovici James Cameron |
| Written by | Simcha Jacobovici |
| Directed by | Simcha Jacobovici |
| Country of origin | Canada Egypt Greece |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | James Cameron |
| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | History Channel |
| Release | April 16, 2006 (2006-04-16) |
The Exodus Decoded is a 2006 documentary film by "investigative archaeologist" and filmmakerSimcha Jacobovici and producer/directorJames Cameron. It aired on April 16 onThe History Channel. The documentary proposes naturalistic origins for theplagues of Egypt as described in theBook of Exodus.
The documentary deals withThe Exodus, the founding story of theIsraelites. While few mainstream historians would consider theBook of Exodus as a reliable narrative, Cameron and Jacobovici present a speculative question as to whether the events as described, particularly relating to theplagues of Egypt, could be explained naturalistically. Central to its thesis is the volcanic eruption ofThera/Santorini.
A suggested date of 1500 BC is made for the Exodus, during the reign of pharaohAhmose I. The "palpable darkness" described as the 9th plague, is hypothetically attributed to the cloud of volcanic ash caused by theMinoan eruption, which is identified as the events described in theTempest Stele. A conjecturallimnic eruption in the Nile Delta, similar to that of theLake Nyos disaster in 1986, is explored as a further source of mass death.
The documentary first aired onDiscovery Channel Canada on April 16, 2006.
As a popular history documentary,The Exodus Decoded attracted few critiques from mainstream scholars.The Washington Post described the use of CGI as "stunning",[1] a view shared byThe New York Times, which placed the documentary's content firmly in the realms of conspiracy theory.[2] A review inThe Jerusalem Post noted that none of the arguments made in the film were accepted by mainstream archaeology and that film-maker Jacobovici freely admitted his lack of academic credentials.[3]