In Egypt and the Exodus (1550-1280 B.C.E.)

A. In Egypt and the Exodus (1550-1280 B.C.E.)

After a change in Egyptian government, the attitude of the Egyptians toward the Hebrews turned sour and they enslaved them. God raised up Moses to lead the Hebrew people back to their ancestral homeland of Canaan. The Egyptians were at first reluctant to allow the Hebrews to leave but ultimately were convinced by a succession of devastating plagues sent by God. The escape from Egypt, called the exodus, is celebrated yearly in the Passover.
    The Hebrews left Egypt around 1280 B.C.E. and were pursued by the Egyptian army. At one point it looked as if they were doomed, trapped between the chariots of Pharaoh and the deep Reed Sea. But God opened up a pathway through the sea for them to pass through, and then drowned the Egyptian army when it tried to follow. Some authorities believe the poem that celebrates this crossing (Exodus 15) is one of the oldest authentic compositions in the Hebrew Bible, though the exact nature of the crossing itself remains unclear.

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Wadi Feiran in the Sinai wilderness is an oasis the Israelites may have passed through on their way to Mount Sinai.

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    The Hebrews traveled on to Mount Sinai, where God appeared to Moses and gave him the Ten Commandments. Termed the Mosaic covenant, God entered into an arrangement with them whereby he committed himself to them and they in turn agreed to obey these commandments. A variety of additional legislative codes are contained in the books of Exodus (see Chapter 3), Leviticus and Numbers (see Chapter 4), and Deuteronomy (see Chapters 5). They are all presented as having been revealed by God at Mount Sinai, however, close analysis reveals that they were edited and shaped by various groups at various later times in Israel's history. Some of the legal materials have significant parallels to official documents from Mesopotamia, such as the Code of Hammurabi.
    Israel came into existence as a nation as a result of the events surrounding the exodus from Egypt and covenant-making on Mount Sinai. The people came together as a community, but they would still have to claim the Promised Land as their home.