Quote:he Israelites are now thought to have been an 'indigenous culture that developed west..."
Because the evidence developed in 30 years of archaeological research shows that this is exactly what happened. You see, science concerns itself with evidence whereas religion just worries about propping up its bullshit fairy tales. However, unlike pompous religious fools scientists do not speak in absolutes. They don't make idiotic assertions which they then cannot back away from when or if new evidence arises the way preachers do.
200 years of excavations in Egypt has failed to show any evidence of mass Hebrew slavery in that country. The Late Bronze Age was the absolute peak of Egyptian imperial power in the ancient world. They ruled Canaan continuously for 400 years before abandoning the area in the mid- 12th century BCE ( c 1155, the reign of Ramesses IV.)
If the catholic church is "growing" it is only because they are spreading their shit in Africa where they have found a continent of ignorant and gullible fools to impress with their magic act. The church is dying in Europe and America ( albeit more slowly) and the day that they padlock the last fucking church will be a glorious day for humanity.