Citing a book title won't cut it. A manual for the Ninth Crusade it is not. It is more surprising that Shanks would spend an entire introduction trying to send off all critics of the Bible into the margins of scholarly debate. He ought to know better. The rest of his article reads like a checklist of bad biblical apologetics.
Research Is Redundant.
The Claim Is Too Embarrassing To Be False. This rhetorical question is in the first place disingenious. The Bible really claims that the Israelites are descendents of Patriarchs, chosen by the gods for a special destiny - and leaders of men. The question is secondly a straw man. But Genesis claimed Joseph's brothers came down to Egypt with him - literally, all the b'nai yishrael .