
Figure3.3MakingBricksinEgyptThisdepictionofthebrick-makingprocessisfromthetombofThut-moselIIofthe18thEgyptiandynasty,c.1460B.C.E.Laborersareshownprocessingtherawmudandformingthebricksusedtoconstructwallsandbuildings.LinedrawingbyBarryBandstraafterDavies(1943),plate58.[
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TheMerneptahStele--FirstHistoricalMentionoftheName"Israel"TheMerneptahstele(astoneslabbearinganinscription)datingtothetimeofPharaohMerneptah(1224-1211B.C.E.)containstheearliesthistoricalreferencetoIsraelinanysource.ThismeansthatbythetimeofMerneptah,Israelexistedasanation,andtheExodusmusthavehappenedbeforethis.ThegenerallyaccepteddateofIsrael'sexodusfromEgyptis1280B.C.E.EgyptMuseum,Cairo[
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DatingtheExodusItisnoteasytodatetheHebrewexodusfromEgypt.Avarietyofbiblical,historical,andarchaeologicaldataneedstobetakenintoaccount.Basicallywhatitcomesdowntoisthattwodatesfortheexodushavebeenargued:anearlydate,1440B.C.E.,andalatedate,1280B.C.E.Theearlydatetendstobeheldbyscholarswhorelyheavilyonbiblicaltimereferences.Thelatedatetendstobeheldbyscholarswhogivemoreweighttoarchaeologicalevidence.Som...[
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AhmoseIandtheHyksosThemiddlepanelonthisceremonialaxedepictstheEgyptianPharaohAhmosesmitinganenemy.EgyptiansourcescreditAhmoseIwithexpellingtheHyksos,whowereforeigninvadersofEgypt(seePritchard1969:230-34).JacobandJoseph,alongwithalltheHebrews,werelikelyconsideredpartoftheHyksosgroup,andwouldhavebeendespisedbyethnicEgyptians.EgyptianMuseum,Cairo[
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Figure3.2EarlyIsraelandEgypt[
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A.IsraelinEgypt(1)ThefirstverseofthebookofExodusconnectstheJosephcycleofGenesis(seeChapter2.3)totheexodusstorybyshowinghowtheHebrewpeoplecametoEgypt.1ThesearethenamesofthesonsofIsraelwhoenteredEgyptwithJacob,eachwithhisfamily.(1:1)AfternamingallthesonsthewriterremarksthattheIsraeliteswerefruitfulandprolific,somuchsothatEgyptwasteemingwiththem.Thelanguageofmultiplicationechoestheancestralcovenantbl...[
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1.Exodus:DeliveranceTraditions(1-18)ThefirsthalfofExodusisanarrativeaccountoftheIsraelites'escapefromEgyptianbondageandtheirjourneytoMountSinai.ThisdeliveranceaccountincludesthestoryofMoses,Yahweh'schosenleader.MosesmediatedaseriesofdisastersthatculminatedintheIsraelites'release.Overcomingallobstacles,includingagreatexpanseofsea,theIsraelitesmadetheirwaythroughthewildernessuntiltheycametothemounta...[
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StoryLineTheopening(Exodus1)describeshowtheEgyptiansoppressedthedescendantsofJacob,subjectingthemtoforcedlabor.Becausethisfailedtocurtailtheirgrowth,allmaleHebrewinfantswerekilled--allbutone.WhenMoseswasborn(2)hisparentshidhimtemporarilyandthenputhimintoabasketandsethimafloatontheNileRiver.Pharaoh'sdaughterfoundMoses,hadcompassiononhim,andraisedhimasherownintheroyalcourt.
WhenMosesbecameamanhe...[
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TheexodusdeclaredthatIsraelexistsbythepowerfuldeliveringactionofYahweh.ThecovenantshapedIsrael'srelationshipwithYahweh.Thisrelationshiphasclearexpectationsofbothpartiesandholdsthepromiseofagloriousfuture.TakentogethertheseeventsestablishIsrael'selementalidentityasadeliveredpeopleincovenantwithGod.
Moreover,theexodusisbasictoJudaismandChristianity.ItiscelebratedinJudaismaspesach,thePassover,and...[
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