exodus history and literature. major components of exodus story of moses yahweh’s war against...
TRANSCRIPT
EXODUS
HI S
TO
RY
AN
D L
I TE
RA
TU
RE
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