I like math. I like science. And I like the Bible. So this book is just perfect for me; it’s by a serious scientist from Cambridge University, England, and it’s about a really serious study of a famous story in the Bible.

Actually, Colin Humphreys is more than “just” a serious scientist. He’s the sort of person who will take a trip to the Red Sea to investigate whether his theories might be true. And then he’ll write about the trip in a gently personal style, giving the reader a chance to share his excitement in his discoveries.

Have you heard the story that the Red Sea crossing really happened in a sort of muddy puddle? I remember learning that the ancient Hebrew texts read “Reed Sea” or lake rather than Red Sea, but Humphreys asks the rather obvious question, why was it ever mistranslated. After all, the Hebrews who wrote, read, and presumably believed “Reed Sea” are the self-same people, centuries before Christ, who translated their own words into Greek, rendering the Hebrew “Reed Sea” into “Red” in Greek. Is it more logical to assume they made a very English mis-translation, or that the two names referred to the same body of water, much as Netherlands and Holland both refer to the same country? Of course, if that’s the case, there should be part of the Red Sea that’s both red and reedy, and so he takes a trip…

I loved the lively, enthusiastic text. I loved the rigorous but comfortably explained logic. I loved the sense of adventure as each step in the Exodus journey became something real and relatable, even the plagues of Egypt, even the smoke on the mountain. And I found myself in awe, rather like the disciples when Jesus calmed the waves, of a God who could so perfectly control nature.

Of course, the alternative conclusion is that an awful lot of coincidences led to either the real events of the Exodus, or the imagined events being so scientifically plausible and verifiable. I like simple conclusions, and I view the author’s analysis as pointing to the actions of God. But the reader is never told what to believe. A true scientist, Professor Humphreys lets the evidence speak for itself and keeps his personal opinions out of the way.

After reading this book, I can finally imagine a version of Exodus that makes sense. I’ve wanted for so many years to touch that column of fire and smoke. Now I know why I can’t, and the answer truly delights me. ( )