August 26, 2011

Joshua's Goshen and Egypt's Goshen

If you read Joshua 10:14, 11:16, and 15:51, you will see that Joshua and the Israelites conquered a city called Goshen. You might be familiar with that name because that's where the Israelites lived in Egypt both before and while they were slaves there.

Is Joshua's Goshen the same as Egypt's Goshen?

You don't have to look too deep to find the answer.

Nearly all the maps of Egypt where scholars believe Goshen is, places Goshen pretty much right on the Nile's delta. Joshua and the Israelites would have to have conquered all the way back into the heart Egypt to reach Egypt's Goshen. Of course, the Israelites never contended with Egypt during their initial conquest of Canaan.

Secondly, Egypt's Goshen is directly west of the Sinai Peninsula. If you compare that to the maps of the areas Joshua and Israelites conquered, they didn't even approach the Sinai Peninsula. And Egypt's Goshen was beyond that.

Therefore, Joshua's Goshen and Egypt's Goshen are not the same Goshen.