Considering Evidence for the 7-Year Famine in Genesis

Secular scientists have found possible evidence of a severe drought thousands of years ago. The dating is obviously contentious with the biblical timeline, and even those scientists are not in agreement with their dating methods. With additional information, it seems to support the famine in Egypt when Joseph was the administrator for the pharaoh.

The dating methods used by secular scientists are saturated with evolutionary assumptions, all of which are unprovable. We need to get up on a sizeable hill to get the big picture.

Nile River by satellite / MODIS, NASA GSFC (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents)

The Bible provides accurate history, and naysayers have been refuted many times. With that in mind, part of the big picture is the narrative in the late chapters of Genesis. Joseph was a mite arrogant it seems, so his brothers sold him, and he eventually wound up in Egypt. Read it for yourself for the details, but remember that Joe was given the meaning of Pharaoh's dream and advised him about how to deal with the coming seven years of prosperity. Then the seven years of famine happened.

A style of Bible writers and those in other areas was to use hyperbole to make a point. In this case, the word erets can mean entire world, or the known world. The drought-caused famine covered many regions. Interestingly, the secular research that caught our attention has divided scientists about whether or not the drought was global in scope.

A recent Nature article posed the question, “Did a mega drought topple empires 4,200 years ago?” Although the date does not line up with biblical timelines, as there are problems with radiometric dating methods that have been discussed extensively on this website, we find close agreement with the famine mentioned in Genesis 41 during the time of Joseph’s release from prison and subsequent elevation to “second to Pharaoh” in Egypt.

This event from supposedly 4,200 years ago is based on U-Th dating on a stalagmite in Mawmluh Cave in the Meghalaya region of India . . . 

Even the Nature article admits to some problems with accurately dating the timing of this event.

You can read the entire article by clicking on "Evidence for the Seven Year Famine of Joseph’s Time Found?"