exodus history and literature. major components of exodus story of moses yahweh’s war against...

EXODUS

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MAJOR COMPONENTS OF EXODUS

Story of Moses

Yahweh’s war against Pharaoh

Passover

Miraculous sea-crossing and desert journey

Sinai “theophany”

Golden Calf episode

Ratification of Mosaic Covenant

HYKSOS

An Egyptian term for “foreign princes”

Infiltrated Egypt from Syria and/or Canaan

May have shared social customs of the Israelites

Egyptian leaders drove out the Hyksos in about 1550 BCE

The presence of the Hyksos may account for the thriving of the Israelites in Egypt, the descendants of Joseph and his brothers

“MOSES”

An Egyptian name derived from the same root as pharaohs Thutmose and Ahmose

THEOCRACY

A Society ruled directly by God

THEOPHANY

From the Greek, meaning an appearance of a god to a person

i.e. When Jacob wrestled with El

When Yahweh appeared to Moses

RELATIONSHIP

Exodus explicitly defines the nature of Yahweh’s relationship to his chosen people.

Unlike covenant with Abraham which made few demands, the Mosaic covenant is bilateral—there are things the Israelites must do

FREEDOM

Given for the purpose of worshipping and obeying Yahweh

HISTORICITY

What evidence have historians and archaeologists found to corroborate the story of Moses, the parting of the sea, or other events in Exodus?

None

EVIDENCE?

No known Egyptian records refer

to the plagues that allegedly devastated Egypt,

the flight of Hebrew slaves,

or the drowning of an Egyptian army

Egypt’s many archives make no mention of Moses

MERNEPTAH’S STELE

Earliest reference to Israel’s existence

1212-1202 BCEKing Tut = 1332 BCEMoses circa 1300Rameses II 1290-1224