The main problem with dating the Exodus is that archaeological evidence and Biblical references do not line up. 16th and 15th century dates make the period of the Judges too long (300-400 years long), involve extensive interaction with kingdoms which only came into existence later, and make no mention of the heavy local influence the Egyptians had in the area of Syria and Palestine. However, some Biblical evidence supports the 15th century date, and the expulsion of the Hyksos favors the earlier date. The expulsion of the Hyksos evidence is important because it is the only historically recorded collective exodus from Egypt of people from Asia until the first millennium B.C.
The 13th century date solves the problems of the earlier ones (the period of the Judges would not be too long, there is archaeological evidence of the kingdoms the Hebrews had extensive contact with, and the Egyptians were no longer a major force in the area) and is the date accepted by more archaeologists and historians than the others. With the 13th century dating of the Exodus, settlement of Canaan by the Israelites occurs in the 12th century B.C.
