In the 1956 classic movie The Ten Commandments, filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille depicted millions of Israelites crossing the desert, only to get stuck between an Egyptian army and the Red Sea, which God miraculously parted so they could survive.

Many modern-day liberal scholars, though, doubt that’s the way it happened – and their disbelief has led some Christians astray. 

Modern-day filmmaker Tim Mahoney is one of these Christians who formerly had a crisis of faith about the biblical narrative. But instead of living a life of doubt, Mahoney set out to find archaeological evidence for the Old Testament story.

His latest movie, Patterns of Evidence: The Red Sea Miracle, Part 1, examines the archaeological evidence for the Israelites’ crossing of the desert. (The Red Sea Miracle, Part 2 will appear in theaters May 5.)

Here are three reasons to watch The Red Sea Miracle:

Photo courtesy: ©Tim Mahoney

1. It Will Strengthen Your Faith

The Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea are well-known stories among Christians.

But among many scholars, such stories are viewed with skepticism. Did the Israelites cross a massive sea that would have required a miracle from God (as depicted in movies by Cecil B. DeMille), or was the body of water far more shallow (and easily crossable by foot)? 

This debate also involves the route the Israelites took out of Egypt. Scholars who doubt the biblical narrative claim the Israelites couldn’t have survived a lengthy walk through the desert. They also say there likely were thousands, and not millions, of people on the journey.

“The big miracle, some people would say, is the parting of the sea,” said Mahoney.“But the other miracle is the journey – and that God provided for them.”

Mahoney travels the globe and interviews experts in both camps, but lands on the side of Scripture.

Photo courtesy: ©Tim Mahoney

2. It Simplifies the Complex

The Red Sea Miracle, Part 1 is the latest in a series of documentary films by Mahoney about the Old Testament narrative. In each one, he takes a complicated subject involving archaeology and ancient history and simplifies it for the average person, using plain language and graphics.  

“It’s something that I’m called to do,” said Mahoney, who recently screened the film at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky. 

In Patterns of Evidence: Exodus (2014), he examined the archaeological evidence and the timeline for the Egyptians owning and then releasing millions of Hebrew slaves. In Patterns of Evidence: The Moses Controversy (2019), he looked at the authorship of the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy) and the question of whether Moses wrote it. 

The Red Sea Miracle, Part 1, examines the various routes the Israelites could have taken and which body of water could have been crossed. Red Sea Miracle, Part 2 (May 5) will spotlight the actual Red Sea miracle itself. 

In each film, Mahoney is searching for “patterns of evidence” that match the biblical events.

“The Scriptures tell us that they’re divine and that we can trust them. And I agree with that,” said Mahoney, explaining his purpose behind the films. “But even with the disciples, it helped that Jesus showed up after the resurrection – even though he told them certain things were going to happen. Jesus understood that the human nature needed to sometimes see with your eyes and touch with your fingers.”

Photo courtesy: ©Tim Mahoney

3. It’s Fascinating … and Well-Done

The Red Sea Miracle is like sitting in a college classroom and learning about an intriguing subject. Yet this class involves the greatest story ever told: God’s story.

“Millions believe this was a supernatural act revealing God’s glory to the nations,” the narration tells us at the beginning of the film. “Did this event take place as recorded in the Bible, and if so, where did it happen?”

Like a good college professor, Mahoney puts a little doubt in your mind before solving the puzzle. 

“There’s a tension between a naturalistic view of the Scripture and what the scripture is actually saying,” Mahoney told Crosswalk. 

Mahoney began tackling the subject when he was facing a crisis of faith.

“I feel as if I have been guided providentially to share information that will help others,” he said. “I’m taking people on a personal journey of discovery, but I found out that a lot of people are asking the same questions.”

PART 2

Finally, we get to see the underwater search for Pharaoh’s chariot wheels! The miraculous Red Sea crossing is one of the greatest divine rescues in the Bible. Moses and the Israelites are trapped at the sea by Pharaoh’s army when God miraculously parts the waters, rescuing the Israelites and destroying Pharaoh and his chariots. The Bible describes the crossing happening at a deep and mighty sea and that’s how legendary director Cecil B. DeMille depicted it in his epic, “The Ten Commandments.” But today, many scholars are skeptical of spectacular miracles and claim that if the Exodus sea-parting happened at all, it must have been caused by naturalistic means, at a shallow lake in the north of Egypt’s Nile delta. 

THE RED SEA MIRACLE II is one of the biggest biblical documentary investigations of all time, uncovering new evidence for the story that challenges our previous understanding of history. For two decades Mahoney has filmed the Exodus event from Egypt’s delta to the bottom of the Red Sea. Now, see the evidence as the Bible comes alive with dramatic recreations, 3D animations, never seen before footage, and interviews from leading Egyptologists, Exodus explorers, and Bible scholars.