Ramses II and/or Merneptah and the Islamic miracle of the preserved Pharaoh

We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Pharaoh and his hosts followed them in insolence and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: "I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam)." (It was said to him): "Ah now!- But a little while before, wast thou in rebellion!- and thou didst mischief (and violence)! "This day shall We save thee in the body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! but verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!"[Qur'ân 10:90-92]

I've posted before on this but it seems that many Muslims and putative Western converts are still falling for this errant nonsense because of the lies (I use the word advisedly) told by the charlatan Yusuf Estes (seen in the above video) and others.


The mummy shown in this particular video is that of Ramses II. Ramses II was the mummy displayed in Dallas that Estes says he visited and saw behind the glass case with its mouth open leading to the comment, "What do you think he was saying, huh? Oh God!..." According to Estes this is the mummy of the Pharaoh that Allah saved as a sign for all mankind so we might believe in him. It is also, according to Estes, the mummy that Maurice Bucaille examined. (Actually it was the mummy of Merneptah that Bucaille writes about in his book but we'll come to that later)
In the video, Estes says that Bucaille was astounded that the Muslim scholars in the Cairo museum knew about the preserved Pharoah. He even tries to suggest that Bucaille knew nothing of the Qur'an. "They said we know (about the mummy being preserved) because it's in the Qur'an. He (Bucaille) said, ""The what?"". What a disingenuous, patronising toad you are, Yusuf Estes! Bucaille had been the Saudi royal family's physician for two years by this stage (He was employed in 1973). Are you seriously suggesting that he had never heard of the Qur'an?
In any case, let's deal with the claim that Ramses II was the Pharaoh who chased Moses and the Israelites into the Red Sea on a chariot. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Ramses II - my bolding (I've kept in the references so that those interested can follow them up):

Ramesses II was originally buried in the tomb KV7 in the Valley of the Kings but, because of looting, priests later transferred the body to a holding area, re-wrapped it, and placed it inside the tomb of queen Inhapy. 72 hours later it was again moved, to the tomb of the high priest Pinudjem II. All of this is recorded in hieroglyphics on the linen covering the body.^[57] His mummy is today in Cairo's Egyptian Museum.
The pharaoh's mummy reveals a hooked nose and strong jaw, and stands at some 1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in).^[58] His ultimate successor was his thirteenth son, Merneptah.
Mummy of Ramesses II
In 1974 Egyptologists visiting his tomb noticed that the mummy's condition was rapidly deteriorating and flew it to Paris for examination.^[59] Ramesses II was issued an Egyptian passport that listed his occupation as "King (deceased)".^[60] The mummy was received at Le Bourget airport, just outside Paris, with the full military honours befitting a king.^[61]In Paris, it was found that Ramesses's mummy was being attacked by fungus, which it was treated for. During the examination, scientific analysis revealed battle wounds and old fractures, as well as the pharaoh's arthritis and poor circulation.
Egyptologists were also interested by the mummy's noticeably thin neck. An X-ray revealed that the neck had a piece of wood lodged into the upper chest, essentially keeping the head in place. It is believed that during the mummification process the head had accidentally been knocked off by those performing the mummification. In Egyptian culture if any part of the body were to come off, the soul of the body would not continue to exist in the afterlife, so those performing the mummification carefully placed the head back and lodged a wooden stick into the neck in order to keep the head in place.^{[citation needed]}It is believed that Ramesses II was essentially crippled with arthritis and walked with a hunched back for the last decades of his life.^[62] A recent study excluded ankylosing spondylitis as a possible cause of the pharaoh's arthritis.^[63] A significant hole in the pharaoh's mandible was detected. Researchers observed "an abscess by his teeth (which) was serious enough to have caused death by infection, although this cannot be determined with certainty." Microscopic inspection of the roots of Ramesses II's hair proved that the king's hair was originally red, which suggests that he came from a family of redheads.^[64] This has more than just cosmetic significance: in ancient Egypt people with red hair were associated with the god Seth, the slayer of Osiris, and the name of Ramesses II's father, Seti I, means "follower of Seth."^[65] After Ramesses's mummy returned to Egypt it was visited by President Anwar Sadat and his wife.

This 90 year-old cripple, mummified in the usual way and found in the Valley of the Kings in a tomb like any other mummy, is the one that Yusuf Estes claims is the Pharaoh who chased the Israelites by chariot into the Red Sea, was drowned by Allah, whose body was miraculously preserved and which shows signs of drowning.


So what of Merneptah, the mummy that Bucaille actually writes about in his book? In a New York Times book review in 1991, Malcolm Brown, science reporter, had this to say about Bucaille's book:

It is hard for an armchair archeologist to dislike a book about mummies, particularly one that describes the mortal remains of a pharaoh supposed to have been killed while pursuing Moses during the Exodus. "Mummies of the Pharaohs," however, is so severely flawed that neither specialist nor casual reader will find much to savor.
Maurice Bucaille, a member of the French Society of Egyptology and a medical doctor, was uniquely privileged during the mid-1970's to conduct forensic examinations of the royal mummies at the Cairo Museum. His book, adequately translated by the author and Alastair D. Pannell, offers some interesting sidelights on these examinations. We learn, for example, that Merneptah, son and successor of Pharaoh Ramses II, probably had his head bashed in around 1204 B.C. while chasing the Hebrews.

Dr. Bucaille asserts that results of a forensic examination of Merneptah's mummy are consistent with the biblical account of the pharaoh's death, in which the Red Sea, miraculously parted for the Hebrews, closes over the Egyptians. The author does not make it quite clear how a surge of water would produce the massive cranial trauma evident in the mummy, but never mind. This is but one of many questions the author leaves hanging.

Because Dr. Bucaille's patients included members of the family of President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, he was given considerable freedom to inspect the royal mummies.
The doctor's major conclusion was that fungus was causing them to decay rapidly in the moist heat of the Cairo Museum, where they had lain devoid of protective wrappings since their discovery at the end of the 19th century.While Dr. Bucaille makes a good case that the royal mummies have been persistently ill used ever since their discovery, too much of his book is devoted to petulant criticism of Egyptologists and museum officials, notably Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, director of Egyptian antiquities at the Louvre. Dr. Bucaille's feuds leave little room for the mummies; his book badly needs rehabilitation by a professional writer or editor. 

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Merneptah (again, links left in):

Merneptah suffered from arthritis and arteriosclerosis in old age and died after a reign which lasted for nearly a decade. Merneptah was originally buried within tomb KV8 in the Valley of the Kings, but his mummy was not found there. In 1898 it was located along with eighteen other mummies in the mummy cache found in the tomb of Amenhotep II (KV35) by Victor Loret. Merneptah's mummy was taken to Cairo and eventually unwrapped by Dr. G. Elliott Smith on July 8, 1907. Dr Smith notes that:The body is that of an old man and is 1 meter 714 millimeters in height. Merenptah was almost completely bald, only a narrow fringe of white hair (now cut so close as to be seen only with difficulty) remaining on the temples and occiput. A few short (about 2 mill) black hairs were found on the upper lip and scattered, closely clipped hairs on the cheeks and chin. The general aspect of the face recalls that of Ramesses II, but the form of the cranium and the measurements of the face much more nearly agree with those of his [grand]father, Seti the Great.^[8] 

So once again there is no suggestion of miraculous preservation. The Merneptah mummy is unremarkable. It was preserved using the normal mummification techniques. Experts suggest Merneptah was an arthritic cripple aged around 70 when he died.

Apart from Bucaille - who at the time of his examination of the mummy was employed as the family physician to King Faisal of Saudi Arabia  and was also treating President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, as well as being well into his infamous treatise on Islam and science - no one has ever suggested that either mummy showed signs of drowning or even a violent death. 


The other Egyptologists who who studied the mummies with Bucaille disagreed profoundly with his conclusions and appear to have been a little frustrated with his obsession.

 En avril 1976, Maurice Bucaille remis ses conclusions. Il constata que Mérenptah dût mourir de traumatismes multiples très importants. En effet des traces de chocs violents reçus de son vivant étaient visibles sur plusieurs parties du corps : Arrière de l'abdomen, thorax enfoncé, idem pour la voûte crânienne qui indique une mort quasi instantanée et de nombreuses lésions sur le côté droit du corps. Cette interprétation des blessures est remise en question par Salima Ikram et Aidan Marc Dodson qui voient dans les nombreuses traces de violence dont a souffert la momie du souverain, l'intervention brutale des voleurs de sépultures. 

It is also to be noted that Bucaille's official report at the time apparently made no mention of his conviction that Merneptah had drowned.

So what are we to make of this miracle claim?

It seems clear that Bucaille saw a chance to enhance his reputation among his powerful new Muslim friends by  making the outrageous claim that Merneptah was the Pharaoh of the (in all likelihood, mythological) Exodus. This was then picked up and exaggerated beyond parody by various Muslim dawah sites and miracle seekers. 


And let's be clear why this is so important. As Yusuf Estes says, this is considered "the most important and impressive miracle of the prophet Muhammad" by a huge number of followers and has convinced innumerable people of the divine nature of the Qur'an.


And there is NO EVIDENCE FOR IT WHATSOEVER.


PS In case any miracle seeker reading this wants to mention salt in the body cavity as evidence of drowning...natron (a mixture of salt and baking soda) was used as part of the preservation technique on all mummies). It's presence is indicative of mummification. NO MIRACLE.

Think I'm making this up about poor gullible miracle seekers? This is typical:

One more sign that proves God exists and powerful is was the discovery of the pharaoh's body in the red sea. The Qur'an tells of the prophet Moses and his followers were chased by the pharaoh and his army. By His power, God splits the sea and drowned Pharaoh and his followers.
All creatures including sea was submissive and obedient to God. How about we as human beings much more perfect?his body (Pharaoh's body) was only discovered in 1898 but the Quran existed nearly 1400 years ago. That is the dead body of Ramses II, The Egyptian King in the era of Prophet Moses (PBUH), it's age is approximately 3000 years old and it was found by the Red Sea at the place called Jabalain. Now in the Royal Mummies Chamber of Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
What is the secret of such good preservation of this body?Dr. Maurice Bucaille was a head and the leader of a group of physicians concern on rebuilding in France. That was in 1981. The result has shown that the residue of salt inside his body was evidence that he died by drowning.
Morris was preparing on final report on what was believed to be a "new discovery" in a Pharaoh's body. Till he was told that Muslims talk about drowning of this mummy he was very surprised!! after he read the story of Pharaoh's drowning in the Quran. Source : Ahmad Deedat Channel

Pharaoh preserved - Pt 3 - Yusuf Estes miracle claim b*llocks

Today we finally dispense with the claim by Islamic miracle seekers(like the one above called Yusuf Estes) that the mummy of Ramses II (or that of his son, Merneptah) on display in Cairo is proof of the fulfilled prediction in the Qur'an that the body of the drowned Pharaoh of the Exodus would be preserved as a sign...

We brought the Children of Israel across the sea and Pharaoh and his troops pursued them out of tyranny and enmity. Then, when he was on the point of drowning, he (Pharaoh) said, I believe that there is no god but Him in whom the Children of Israel believe. I am of those who submit to God. What! Now! And indeed you disobeyed before and you were of the mischief-makers. This day shall We save you in your body, that you may be a Sign to those who come after you! But indeed, many among mankind are neglectful of Our Signs. 10:90-93

We have seen that archeological evidence for the Exodus itself is non-existent and the story related in the old Testament is thus, in all likelihood, a myth.
We have seen that the author of the Qur'an fails to specify which Pharaoh and that references to Firoun suggest a lack of understanding of the title.
We have seen that despite these difficulties of identification it is assumed that Firoun is either Ramses II or Merneptah and that neither of these Pharaohs was physically capable of leading a chariot chase - being old and riddled with disease.
We have seen that the origins of the claims go back to Maurice Bucaille who at the time of his researches, far from being an objective reliable witness who was overcome with wonder at the prediction in the Qur'an (as claimed by innumerable Islamic sites) was in fact writing a book about Qur'anic miracles and was in the employ of the Saudi royal family.
Finally let us dispense once and for all with some blatant lies told by some of these sites and swallowed by the gullible believers and would-be believers...
# Both bodies WERE MUMMIFIED - there is NO MIRACLE in the act of preservation per se.
# Neither body was found on the shore of the Red SEA (as claimed) - they were, like any other mummy, found in the Valley of the Kings.
# There were salt crystals found inside both mummies. This does NOT indicate drowning, but rather normal preservation techniques. Natron, the drying agent used in ancient Egypt is a mixture of baking soda and salt. It is therefore entirely expected to find salt in mummies. If Bucaille or anyone else suggests this is evidence of drowning, he forfeits any right to be taken seriously as an academic.
# I would be delighted to provide independent, scholarly evidence for all of the above FACTS if any Muslim miracle seeker would be interested in finding out about the truth instead of blindly following made-up stories peddled by people who should know better.

And as for Yusuf Estes, if you ever read this...YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF.

Pharaoh preserved - Pt 2

Yesterday we posed the following question regarding Maurice Bucaille's assertion that the promise  to preserve the Pharaoh's body has been miraculously fulfilled in the shape of a mummy on display in Cairo. Is Bucaille perhaps claiming that the miracle resides in the fact that the Pharaoh of the Exodus was preserved and Mohammad couldn't have known that?
We then posited the following test:
For this to be believable we would have to accept that:
i. the Exodus of the Jews out of Egypt, as related in the Old Testament and the Qur'an, is an historical fact
ii. that we know which Pharaoh was ruling at the time of the Exodus
iii. that that is the Pharaoh preserved in the Museum in Cairo
iv. that the Pharaoh (whichever one the Muslims choose to believe in) drowned in the Red sea whilst chasing the fleeing Jews.
We showed there is no archeological evidence for the historical existence of the Exodus. Now let us examine points ii-iv.
ii. for the miracle claim to make sense, we would need to know which Pharaoh was ruling at the time of the mythological Exodus. The Qur'anic version gives the impression that Pharaoh or Firoun  was the name of the leader as opposed to a title given to Egyptian rulers from approx. 3,000 BC to 300 BC and therefore fails to specify which Pharaoh of the many that had been preserved by mummification we are supposed to regard as the sign. It seems that Muslims have settled on one of two possibilities. The less educated/intellectually curious suppose that it is Ramses II, whom we can immediately dismiss since his mummified body shows he was of advanced age (90?) when he died and riddled with extreme arteriosclerosis  that would have made leading a chariot army a laughable impossibility. The second suggestion is Ramses II's son, Merneptah. Let us look at what NON-MUSLIM ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS have said about Merneptah. From a French Egyptology website we learn the following:

Mérenptah meurt selon certains spécialistes le 02 mai 1203, il fut enterré, dans le tombeau KV8, dans la vallée des Rois. Sa momie a été retrouvée le 9 mars 1898 par Victor Loret, dans la cachette du tombeau KV35 d'Amenhotep II, au milieu de 18 autres (Dont certaines royales). Elle est également connue sous le nom de "Momie blanche", parce qu'elle a beaucoup de traces couleur blanchâtre. Elle se trouve aujourd'hui au musée du Caire. Elle fut déballée et examinée la première fois le 8 juillet 1907, par l'égyptologue Britannique Grafton Eliott Smith, qui constate les premières détériorations qu'elle est entrain de subir.

 

   Son étude nous révèle que le corps est celui d'un vieil homme obèse, d'1 m 71. Mérenptah était presque complètement chauve, seule une étroite frange de cheveux blancs reste sur ses tempes et l'occiput. L'aspect général de son visage rappelle celui de Ramsès II, mais la forme du crâne et ses mesures se rapprochent plus de celle de son grand-père, Séthi I (1294-1279). On sait aussi maintenant que le Pharaon souffrait à la fin de sa vie de maux diverses qui purent-être la cause de sa mort. Le crâne du souverain présente à l'arrière une fracture ouverte comparable a celles d'autres momies royales étudiées comme celle de Séthi II ou Ramsès IV. En 1965, une nouvelle étude est menée par James Edward Harris et Kent R.Weeks afin de vérifier son état en la radiographiant. L'étude nous apprend que Mérenptah souffrait notamment d'arthrite, d'artériosclérose et d'une mauvaise dentition. L'examen révéla également plusieurs fractures sur son corps qui n'avaient pas été soignées, indiquant qu'elles avaient dû se produire post-mortem, peut-être lors de son déplacement dans la cachette de KV35.

 

   En 1974, des égyptologues remarquèrent que l'état de la momie s'était encore plus dégradé et qu'elle nécessitait, comme les autres momies royales trouvées dans la cachette, d'être traitée pour une infection fongique. Ils décidèrent de les emporter à Paris afin de les sauver et les étudier plus profondément afin de connaître la (ou les) cause(s) de la mort du Pharaon. Les recherchent furent entreprises par une équipe Française, regroupant des professionnels de diverses disciplines médicales, dont le médecin légiste Michel Durigon, assistant du professeur F.Ceccaldi, directeur du laboratoire de l'identité judiciaire à Paris. Cette équipe fut confiée à la direction du Docteur Maurice Bucaille avec quelques collaborateurs Égyptiens. Grâce aux nombreuses techniques médicales qui furent utilisées on obtint un diagnostique étonnant de l'état de santé du Pharaon.

En avril 1976 Maurice Bucaille remis ses conclusions. Il constata que Mérenptah dût mourir de traumatismes multiples très importants. En effet des traces de chocs violents reçus de son vivant étaient visibles sur plusieurs parties du corps : Arrière de l'abdomen, thorax enfoncé, idem pour la voûte crânienne qui indique une mort quasi instantanée et de nombreuses lésions sur le côté droit du corps. Cette interprétation des blessures est remise en question par Salima Ikram et Aidan Marc Dodson qui voient dans les nombreuses traces de violence dont a souffert la momie du souverain, l'intervention brutale des voleurs de sépultures.

 

   Le tombeau du Pharaon est beaucoup plus simple que celui de son père Ramsès II. Il fixera d'ailleurs la norme pour la plupart des tombeaux qui seront construits dans la vallée. Il est cartographié et étudié pour la première fois en 1737-1738, par Richard Pococke, puis par Karl Richard Lepsius et Carl Richard en 1844-1845, puis en 1903-1904 par Howard Carter et enfin en 1985-1988 par Edwin C.Brock. Il est décoré avec des scènes : Des litanies de Rê, du Livre des Portes dont le chapitre final apparaît encore partiellement sur la paroi Nord, du Livre des Morts, du Livre de la Terre, du Livre des Cavernes (ou Livre des Enfers, dans la chambre funéraire), du rituel de l'ouverture de la bouche et des représentations du défunt avec des déités.

 
We thus learn that Merneptah was a fat old man (un vieil homme obèse), who
suffered at the end of his life from various diseases/troubles which could have been the cause of his death (le Pharaon souffrait à la fin de sa vie de maux diverses qui purent être la cause de sa mort), and that he suffered from arthritis, arteriosclerocis and bad teeth ( souffrait notamment d'arthrite, d'artériosclérose et d'une mauvaise dentition)
And what of the fractures beloved of Islamic apologists which they say hint at a violent death perfectly in keeping with someone who met his end in the broiling waters and chaos as the Red Sea enveloped the Egyptian chariots?  The study did reveal several fractures, but the experts thought they had been inflicted when the mummy had been removed from the burial chamber (peut-être lors de son déplacement dans la cachette de KV35).And what of Allah's miraculous preservation of the body? Well it seems The Almighty didn't do a very good job, since the very reason why Bucaille was able to examine the mummy was that in 1974 it was noticed that the mummy was degrading very quickly and it was decided to send it to France for preservation treatment and further study. (En 1974, des égyptologues remarquèrent que l'état de la momie s'était encore plus dégradé...) 
It was during this examination that Bucaille reached his bizarre conclusion that the Merneptah had died after receiving violent blows. The other experts, however, disagreed. They believed the fractures were inflicted post-mortem by grave robbers.(Cette interprétation des blessures est remise en question par Salima Ikram et Aidan Marc Dodson qui voient dans les nombreuses traces de violence dont a souffert la momie du souverain, l'intervention brutale des voleurs de sépultures.)
Perhaps we should remember that Bucaille had been in the employ of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia as the family physician for three years by this time and was well into the writing of his infamous Islamic miracle diatribe, The Bible, The Qur'an and Science. Hardly an objective, dispassionate scientist then.

In conclusion to point ii then: If we go on the Muslims own choice of Pharaoh for the one that Allah saved, we have either Ramses II, a ninety year-old arthritic cripple or his son, Merneptah - a fat old man who  also suffered from various debilitating conditions and whose famous battle injuries were in fact more likely inflicted post-mortem by grave robbers.

Tomorrow - final irrefutable evidence that the Pharaoh miracle is nothing but wishful thinking and lies.

Pharaoh preserved - just as Allah promised..another sign! Pt1

The above video is one of many to be found on Youtube which relates the incredible story of one of the most widely believed Qur'anic miracles. Here's the content description attached to the video by the uploader:

"Allah Promises To Preserve The Body Of Pharoh in The Holly Qur'an Over 1400 Years Ago And in 19th Century Scientists/Archaeologists Find His Preserved Body Near The Red Sea, And Todays Scientific Tests Konfirm It Is Pharoh And Died From Drowining. The Biggest Shok Is that It Was not Mummified And And Still To Be Presenrved Is nothing But A Mirrakle. Oh My Dear non-muslim Brothers how Many Of God's signs Will You Deny?"

I think the uploader's description is interesting for two reasons :
 i. the utter certainty that what he has been told about the miracle is true, despite some obvious logical flaws that just a moment's reflection would make plain and
ii. his obvious desire to persuade non-Muslims of the veracity of the "signs".

In case you found the video description a bit difficult to follow, this is a summary of the "miracle".
The relevant verses in the Qur'an are as follows..

We (Allah) rehearse unto thee a portion of the story of Moses and Pharaoh with truth, for the benefit of a people who would believe. 28:4

We sent Moses with Our Signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they unjustly

rejected them. Behold, then, what was the end of those who created

disorder! 7:104

“We brought the Children of Israel across the sea and Pharaoh and his troops pursued them out of tyranny and enmity. Then, when he was on the point of drowning, he (Pharaoh) said, I believe that there is no god but Him in whom the Children of Israel believe. I am of those who submit to God. What! Now! And indeed you disobeyed before and you were of the mischief-makers. This day shall We save you in your body, that you may be a Sign to those who come after you! But indeed, many among mankind are neglectful of Our Signs." 10:90-93

Thus we see that the Qur'an contans the biblical story of the Exodus of the Jews from Eygypt, of Moses leading them into the Red Sea divided by God, and of the Egyptians being drowned after God lets the waters fall on them. But the Qur'an also tells us something not mentioned in the Bible, that God preserved Pharaoh's body "as a sign to those who come after you". It is this that was pounced upon by Bucaille in his book, The Bible, The Qur'an and Science

This is the prophecy which no other scripture had revealed. Not even the historians of the time had any clue. The mummified bodies of all the Pharaohs lay concealed in the Valley of Kings along the banks of the Nile at this time and even the plunderers of tombs did not know who was buried in them. Their discovery took place in the 19th century.[...] When the Qur'an was transmitted to man by the Prophet, the bodies of all the Pharaohs who are today considered (rightly or wrongly) to have something to do with the Exodus were in their tombs of the Necropolis of Thebes, on the opposite side of the Nile from Luxor. At the time however, absolutely nothing was known of this fact, and it was not until the end of the Nineteenth century that they were discovered there. As the Qur'an states, the body of the Pharaoh of the Exodus was in fact rescued: whichever of the Pharaohs it was, visitors may see him in the Royal Mummies Room of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

What exactly is Bucaille suggesting here? That noone during Mohamamd's time was aware of the process of mummification, and that therefore to predict that the Pharaoh would be preserved was a miracle? This is patent nonsense. Mummies have always been known about. From the moment pharaohs were interred, grave robbers have been finding ways in. Indeed, mediaeval doctors in Alexandria used powdered mummies as a cure-all. Mohammad would therefore have known about the seemingly miraculous preservation of the bodies of pharaohs.

Or is Bucaille perhaps claiming that the miracle resides in the fact that the Pharaoh of the Exodus was preserved and Mohammad couldn't have known that? For this to be believable we would have to accept that:
i. the Exodus of the Jews out of Egypt, as related in the Old Testament and the Qur'an, is an historical fact
ii. that we know which Pharaoh(s) was ruling at the time of the Exodus
iii. that that is the Pharaoh preserved in the Museum in Cairo
iv. that the Pharaoh (whichever one the Muslims choose to believe in) drowned in the Red sea whilst chasing the fleeing Jews.

Let us examine first of all the historical evidence for the Exodus....Right, that was easy. THERE IS NONE.

The archaeological evidence of the largely indigenous origins of Israel is "overwhelming," and leaves "no room for an Exodus from Egypt or a 40-year pilgrimage through the Sinai wilderness."¹ For this reason, most archaeologists have abandoned the archaeological investigation of Moses and the Exodus as "a fruitless pursuit."¹ A century of research by archaeologists and Egyptologists has found no evidence which can be directly related to the Exodus narrative of an Egyptian captivity and the escape and travels through the wilderness, 2 and it has become increasingly clear that Iron Age Israel - the kingdoms of Judah and Israel - has its origins in Canaan, not Egypt

1Dever, William G. (2002). What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It?. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN 0-8028-2126-X. p.99
2.Carol L. Meyers, "Exodus", New Cambridge Bible Commentary series (Cambridge University Press, 2005) p.5

It seems clear that the story of the Exodus is just that, a story, told in the form of history to strengthen the Jews' ties to their God. But let's not allow that to distract us from the remaining points that need examining...Tomorrow we shall look at further evidence suggesting the preposterous nature of this miracle claim that has done so much to convince Muslims and would be Muslims alike of the divine nature od the Qur'an.