The best Smoot and Boylan can do to defend the Book of Abraham

[Dr Exiled]

Drumdude, I have been impressed by what Dever has written. His archeological specifics are important. I think his general picture fits with other observations. (the Old Testament itself has lots of details pointing to a never stated, no conquest) Dever has stated he thinks it is possible there was a Moses and group from Egypt but they would have had to have been much smaller than what is pictured in Exodus. I can understand saying Judges is where more historical things start but the dividing line fiction and history is not black and white. There could be legends of Abraham going back to some memory of some real somebody. Or perhaps not. Perhaps the legends do not actually go back that far.( ?)

I would be very surprised if any archeological evidence points to anything like a historical Abraham. But yes I really appreciate that archeologists like him are able to remain impartial and go wherever the evidence leads them.

It’s disappointing that Israel is supposedly blocking genetic research into this, if that’s true.

They need the Amalek narrative to continue along with David and the greater Israel push. So, Abraham must have existed as the holy books say.