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The Book of Exodus

by Fr. Michael D. Guinan, O.F.M., Ph.D.

THE BOOK OF EXODUS W R I T T E N G U I D E

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Table of Contents

Topic 1: The Book of Exodus: Introduction .................................................................. 6

Topic 2: Oppression and Moses (Exodus 1-2)............................................................... 9

Topic 3: Yahweh and Moses (Exodus 3-6) ................................................................. 12

Topic 4: The Plagues (Exodus 7-13) ........................................................................... 15

Topic 5: Passover: Deliverance at the Sea: Part I (Exodus 13-15) .............................. 17

Topic 6: Deliverance at the Sea: Part II (Exodus 13-15) ............................................. 20

Topic 7: Wandering in the Wilderness (Exodus 15:22-18:27) .................................... 23

Topic 8: Covenant at Sinai: Part I (Exodus 19-24) ...................................................... 26

Topic 9: Covenant at Sinai: Part Two (Exodus 19-24) ................................................ 29

Topic 10: Ten Commandments and Covenant Laws (Exodus 20-23) ........................... 32

Topic 11: Tabernacle and Worship: Part I (Exodus 25-40) ........................................... 35

Topic 12: Crisis of Covenant: Tabernacle and Worship: Part II (Exodus 25-40) ......... 38

Topic 13: Exodus and History ....................................................................................... 41

Topic 14: Exodus and the Bible ..................................................................................... 45

Topic 15: Exodus: Paradigm of Liberation .................................................................... 48



Program Summary

Ever noticed Hollywood’s attraction to the Book of

Exodus?

No other book of the Bible has captured the hearts, minds and imaginations

of people through three millennia quite as vividly as Exodus. With stories of a

prophet rescued from a basket on the river, the parting of a sea, an entire nation

wandering in the desert and a covenant forged on a mountaintop, this book

seems made for the movies.

And yet the Book of Exodus has been called by some theologians,

“the most important book in the Bible.” It presents the foundation story of Israel

as a people and provides the background for much of the New Testament

presentation of Jesus. It is a story of liberation and victory over oppression.

The Exodus epic continues to be remembered and celebrated by the Jewish

community in the Passover ceremony and by Christians in the Eucharist.

In this series of 15 25-minute lectures, Fr. Guinan will examine this

illustrious book in three parts. First, this course will address Israel’s oppression

in Egypt, their lament to God and Moses’ role as hero. Next, Fr. Guinan will

guide you through the years the Israelites spent in the desert, their covenant with

God and the Ten Commandments. Then you will examine the account of the

building and furnishings of the tabernacle, to which a third of Exodus is

dedicated. Find out why is this so important, and if it has any meaning for us

today?

After exploring the Book, the course concludes with three important

questions: How much do we really know about the historical nature of these

events? Since the Exodus story is so foundational, how does it reverberate

throughout the rest of the Bible, both Old and New Testament? How has (and

can) this story serve as a paradigm of liberation, inspiration, and hope for those

suffering?



About Your Presenter

Insert Author Picture Here

Fr. Michael D. Guinan, O.F.M., Ph.D., a favorite among

Now You Know Media customers from over 20 nations,

received his Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America

and is a Franciscan priest and a Professor of Old Testament,

Semitic Languages [Hebrew and Aramaic], and Biblical

Spirituality at the Franciscan School of Theology in

Berkeley, Ca.

He has published a number of books, pamphlets and commentaries in

publications such as The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, The Collegeville

Bible Commentary, and The Message of Biblical Spirituality series. He has

contributed articles to the Anchor Bible Dictionary and the New Interpreter’s

Dictionary of the Bible as well as the popular Catholic Update series. In

addition to Berkeley, he has taught at St. Bonaventure University, NY, St.

Patrick’s Seminary, Ca., and the Franciscan Seminary in Manila, Philippines. Fr.

Guinan’s previous programs with Now You Know Media include The Psalms:

Model and Guide to Prayer, How to Read and Understand Your Bible, The Old

Testament and Wisdom Literature of the Bible.



Topic 1: The Book of Exodus: Introduction

I. Introduction

A) Four meanings of “exodus”

B) Outline of the Book

II. Four Meanings of “Exodus”

A) A word

1) Ex-hodos: “out on the road”

2) Procession, military march, divorce, death, “exit”

3) Israel’s “going out” from Egypt

B) An event

1) In history

2) In “remembered history” (mnemohistory)

C) A book

1) Title

2) Divisions

3) A “chapter” in a bigger book (The Pentateuch)

(a) Relation to Genesis before it

(b) Relation to Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy after it

4) A book with historical depth—end product of a history

(a) Classic “4-Source” solution

(b) Two basic sources: Old Epic (OE) and Priestly (P)

D) A paradigm

1) Within the Old Testament (OT)

2) Within the New Testament (NT)

3) In later history

III. Outline of the Book

A) Broad overview: 2 parts



1) Exodus and Sinai

B) More detailed: 6 parts

1) 1:1-15:18: oppression and going out from Egypt

2) 15:19-18:27: wandering in the wilderness

3) 19:1-24:18: covenant and law at Sinai

4) 25:1-31:18: plans for the tabernacle

5) 32:1-34:35: crisis of covenant and renewal

6) 35:1-40:38: building of the tabernacle

C) Movement in the book

1) Slavery to worship

2) Bondage to Pharaoh to service of Yahweh

3) Freedom from slavery to freedom for Yahweh

4) From chaos to creation

5) From who is Yahweh to Yahweh who frees, covenants and dwells with Israel



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What does the word “exodus” mean?

2. Why is the Book of Exodus so popular? Important? Can you recall seeing it referred to in movies?

paintings? music? cartoons?

3. What is the book of Exodus about? Can you give a short and simple answer? Or a longer and more

detailed one?



Topic 2: Oppression and Moses (Exodus 1-2)

I. Introduction

A) These chapters set the scene and introduce the problem and the key human figure

II. Summary Statement (1:1-7)

A) Fairly mundane description

B) Ties back to Genesis (eg), 46:8-27)

C) Also to Gen 1:26-28

D) Promise of family is being fulfilled, but still out of the land

III. Oppression begins (1:8-14)

A) A new (and nameless) king, growth seen as threat

B) Forced labor, oppression

C) Bitter, hard work, servitude (1:13-14)

1) Heb, ‘abad/’abodah

D) Plan fails

IV. Policy of Infanticide (1:15-22)

A) Hebrew midwives, with names

B) Delivery stool?

C) Women in pivotal roles

D) They “fear God”

E) King speaks again, to all the people

F) Conflict: life-giving power of God and death-bringing power of Pharaoh

V. Birth of Moses (2:1-10)

A) The human “hero” of Exodus

B) Levitical parents

C) A basket covered with pitch (Genesis flood story)

D) Put in the Nile

E) Similar story from ancient Mesopotamia


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F) The name “Moses”

G) Moses “foreshadows”

VI. Moses flees Egypt (2:11-22)

A) Raised as Egyptian but he is a “Hebrew”

B) Three features of foreshadowing

1) He smote the Egyptian

2) His fellows argue over his leadership

3) Pharaoh tries to kill him and he flees

C) Prospers in land of Midian

VII. Summary Statement (2:23-25)

A) Israelites groan, cry out

B) God hears, remembers, sees, and knows

C) Lamentation and Liturgy

1) Description of oppression

2) Cry of lament

3) Oracle of salvation (chaps. 3-6)

4) Narrative of salvation (chaps. 7-14)

5) Hymn of praise (Exodus 15)



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. The Hebrews suffered physical oppression, and God will deliver them. Are there other kinds of

oppression that we may experience and call to God for deliverance?

2. Pharaoh’s reaction out of fear seems counterproductive. Can we identify with him in the way we

may sometimes react out of fear?

3. How does Moses foreshadow in himself things which will be further realized by the Israelites in

their exodus?

4. What is lamentation? Do you think today we are comfortable with lamenting? How may we

recover a healthy sense of it?



Topic 3: Yahweh and Moses (Exodus 3-6)

I. Introduction

A) Section is 3:1-7:7

B) Yahweh and the calling of Moses in the wilderness (3:1-4:17)

C) Moses returns to Egypt (4:18-5:22)

D) Yahweh and the (re)calling of Moses in Egypt (5:23-7:7)

II. Yahweh and the calling of Moses in the wilderness (3:1-4:17)

A) Yahweh

1) What was the name?

(a) The problem

(b) The best guess

2) Was it a new name?

3) What does the name mean?

(a) Scientific etymology

(b) Folk understanding

(c) Ehyeh asher Ehyeh (3:14)

B) Moses

1) Who am I that I should go? (3:11)

2) If they ask me what’s his name? (3:13)

3) What if they don’t believe me? (4:1)

4) I’ve never been eloquent (4:10)

5) Please send someone else (4:13)

III. Moses Returns to Egypt (4:18-5:21)

A) Moses sets out for Egypt (4:18-23)

B) Strange encounter on the way (4:24-26)

C) First encounter with Pharaoh (4:27-5:21)

1) Who is Yahweh? (5:2)



2) Oppression increases

IV. Yahweh and the (re)calling of Moses in Egypt (5:22-7:1)

A) Yahweh’s name (6:2-8)

1) Gives a narrative

2) God promised the ancestors and delivers from Egypt, covenants at Sinai and brings into

the land

B) Moses complains again

1) I am a poor speaker (6:12, 30)

2) Aaron will be your prophet (7:1)



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Who is Yahweh and what does the name mean? What is the problem in knowing how to pronounce

it.

2. What do you think of Moses reaction to God’s call? How do you think you might react? In fact,

how do we react to God’s call in our lives today?



Topic 4: The Plagues (Exodus 7-13)

I. The Plagues (Exodus 7:8-11:10)

A) Introduction

1) Plagues?

2) Ten?

B) Preliminary Questions

1) Where begin?

2) Where end?

3) Literary nature of the text—two sources/ Psalm 74 and 105

4) Current text

C) Interpretation

1) Natural

(a) Problems with this

2) Judgment against Egyptian gods

(a) Makes some sense

(b) Conflict between Pharaoh and Yahweh

(c) Harden Pharaoh’s heart

3) Collapse of creation

II. Excursus: God Behaving Badly?

A) The problem

B) Various suggestions

1) Progressive approach

2) Cultural context approach

3) Holistic approach

4) Christian lens approach

C) The problem is real



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What do you think of attempts to find natural explanations for these events? What do you think

these narratives are trying to teach?

2. The Old Testament God has at times been described as a “God of vengeance.” What do you think

of this and how might one respond? What factors come into play? Can you think of examples

where the Bible has (is) quoted to justify wrong behavior toward others?



Topic 5: Passover: Deliverance at the Sea: Part I (Exodus 13-15)

I. Introduction

II. Passover (Exodus 12:1-13:16)

A) Liturgical material again

B) Three feasts

1) Passover

2) First fruits

3) First born

C) Story and Ritual brought together

III. The Number

A) 600,000 men (12:37)

B) How explain?

1) ‘eleph does not mean 1000, but a subsection of a tribe

2) It is an exaggerated “epic” number

3) It reflects a later population, maybe from the time of its composition

IV. Event at the Sea

A) Israelites by the sea

B) Three texts

1) Two prose texts, combined in 13:17-14:31

(a) Old Epic: ca. 800 B.C.

(b) Priestly: ca. 500 B.C.

2) The old poem in Exodus (15:1-21)

(a) ca.100 B.C.

3) Summary:

(a) Event: ca. 1250; old poem, ca. 1100; OE, ca. 800, P. ca. 500.

C) Individual Texts



1) Old Poem

(a) Moses and Israel sing the song; not mentioned in the event

(b) Conflict between Yahweh and Egypt; Egypt drowns (like a stone (15:5), like lead

(15:10)

(c) How? Wind, waves, surging, foaming, covering, storm-like

2) Old Epic

(a) Moses and Israel by the shore; Israel complains, Moses urges to faith

(b) Conflict only between Yahweh and Egypt

(c) When? “all night long” and “at the break of dawn”

(d) How? East wind blows all night long, sea goes out; Egyptians flee into the sea as it is

returning and they wash up dead on the shore…sounds vaguely tidal

3) Priestly

(a) Conflict still between Yahweh and Egypt, but Yahweh is more removed from the

fray

(b) Moses stretches out his staff and sea parts, walls of water

(c) Israel crosses through safely; Egypt pursues

(d) Moses stretches out hand, walls of water collapse on Egypt)



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What is the issue at stake in Yahweh’s delivering of Israel?

2. Why is it so difficult to know just what happened “at the sea”? Do you think Cecil B. DeMille got it

right?



Topic 6: Deliverance at the Sea: Part II (Exodus 13-15)

I. Review

II. Old Poem

A) Sounds like a storm at sea

B) Canaanite religion

1) Their geography

2) Yam and Mot

3) Baal brings rain

4) Storm theophany

C) Early Israelites were Canaanites, used their language

D) With some changes

1) Conflict is not between two gods in mythic space

2) Sea is not the enemy but the weapon

3) Yahweh, not Baal

III. Old Epic

A) Some features of Canaanite imagery continue (pillar of cloud/fire)

B) New elements: all night long, crack of dawn

C) Egyptian religion: sun god

D) Solar theophany

E) Yahweh, not Pharaoh

IV. Priestly

A) Time of Babylonian exile

B) Babylonian creation story, Marduk and Tiamat

C) Similar language in Isaiah 51:9-11; see also Psalm 74:12-17)

D) Yahweh, not Marduk

V. Was it s a miracle?

A) What is “it”?



B) What do you mean by “miracle?”

1) Modern view: unified concept of nature/natural laws

2) Ancient view: signs and wonders

VI. Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:1-21)

A) It extends into settlement in the land

B) Climax of the lamentation liturgy



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. How can knowledge of the ancient religious culture(s) help us to understand the accounts of the

Israel’s deliverance “at the sea”?

2. Are there other areas that a realization of the thought and culture of the ancient world can help us to

appreciate better?

3. What does it mean to say that we need to take an “incarnational approach” to the Bible?



Topic 7: Wandering in the Wilderness (Exodus 15:22-18:27)

I. Journey

A) Not just “wandering”

B) The route of the exodus

II. The wilderness

A) Real places

B) Symbolic space

1) Realm of “Mot”/”Death

III. What happens in the wilderness?

A) Water (15:22-27)

1) Marah

2) Healer

B) Food (16:1-36)

1) Narrative a little confusing

2) Fleshpots of Egypt

3) Manna (man-hu’)

4) Quail

C) Water again (17:1-7)

1) Test the Lord

2) Massah and Meribah

D) Enemies from without (17:8-16)

1) Amalekites

2) Joshua

3) Moses’ hands

4) Yahweh gives victory (and the dark side of God)

E) Internal Needs (18:1-27)



1) Part one (1-12): Jethro and faith

2) Part two (13-27): help in administering justice

IV. General Remarks

A) Problems of survival

1) Physical and social

2) Temptation of nostalgia

B) All will be repeated

1) First cycle of temptations

2) Second cycle (Numbers 11-21)

3) Another pious pagan, Balaam (Numbers 22-24)

C) Wilderness and Plagues

1) Marah-could not drink water (15:23//7:24)

2) Rain hail (9:18, 23), rain manna (16:4)

3) Locusts come up/cover (10:14-15); quail come up/cover (16:13)

4) Moses’ staff strikes Nile (7:17) , strikes the rock (17:5-6)

5) Staff used against Amalek, as against Egypt

D) Wilderness

1) Place of Presence

2) Place of Testing

3) Place of Covenant



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Spiritual writers today speak of “wilderness” experiences. What do you think it means? Can you

relate to it?

2. What kinds of temptations does Israel face in the wilderness? Do we, in different ways, face similar

temptations today?



Topic 8: Covenant at Sinai: Part I (Exodus 19-24)

I. Introduction

II. Theophany (Exodus 19)

A) “You have seen what I have done…”

1) You are my “segullah”

2) Kingdom of priests and holy nation

3) All the earth is mine

B) Yahweh is Israel’s go’el

1) Office in family/tribe-protection

(a) Property alienated (Lev 25:25)

(b) Member sold/enslaved (Lev 25:47-49)

(c) Man dies childless (Ruth 2:20; 3:12; 4:4)

2) Yahweh and Israel area family

C) Is this monotheism?

1) What do you mean by “monotheism?”

2) There are other gods, but they are out of work

3) “Incipient,” “ethical,” “practical” monotheism

D) Theophany

1) Classic “storm theophany” language

2) No need to look for volcanoes

III. Covenant

A) Ancient social background

B) Definition: “an agreement or promise between two parties solemnly professed before

witnesses and made binding by an oath expressed verbally or by some symbolic action”

(Hebrew: berith)

C) Types

1) Family kinship

2) Treaties



(a) Parity/suzerain-vassal

(b) Hittites (1400-1200 B.C.); Neo-Assyrian (750-620 B.C.)

(c) Pattern

(i) Identification of suzerain

(ii) History of relationship

(iii)Stipulations

(iv) Deposit for future reading

(v) Divine witnesses

(vi) Blessings/Curses on violators

D) Sealing (Exodus 24)

1) Meal ritual

(a) Ancient Near Eastern background

(b) Representatives of the people (19:1-2, 9-11)

(c) The people too (v. 5): shelamim sacrifice

2) Blood ritual



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. How did Israel understand what it was that Yahweh had done for them? Can you think of anything

in our experience something like a go’el?

2. What is a “covenant” and what are its characteristics?

3. Were there different kinds of covenants?



Topic 9: Covenant at Sinai: Part Two (Exodus 19-24)

I. Introduction

II. Covenant “Laws”

A) Is “law” the best term?

B) Flow from the covenant

C) Marriage analogy

III. Two Areas of Life

A) Relation to Yahweh

1) Freed from slavery

2) Freedom from and freedom for

3) ‘abodah: service, worship

4) Idolatry is foundational sin

5) Failure in the land

B) Relation to Others

1) Yahweh and social behavior

2) Special area of concern

3) Failure in the land

C) Two distinct areas?

1) Scholars have separated them

2) Two sides of one coin

IV. Collections of Laws

A) How much from Sinai

B) Additional law codes

C) All 613 laws

D) Given “by Moses”

V. Covenant Morality

A) Caricature of OT covenant morality



B) Morality of Response

C) Morality of Dialogue

D) Goal of covenant life:

1) Shalom (peace)

2) Sedaqah (justice)

3) Hayyim (life)

VI. Why Go to Sinai?



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Why do covenants always involve some kind of obligation?

2. What were Israel’s obligations growing out of their covenant with Yahweh?

3. Could you give a general description of “covenant morality”? Is it fair to call it a “legalism”?



Topic 10: Ten Commandments and Covenant Laws (Exodus 20-23)

I. Laws in General

A) Types of laws

1) Casuistic and apodictic

B) Ancient Near Eastern Codes

II. The Ten Commandments

A) General matters

1) Importance

2) Counting

3) Two sections

4) Spoken by God

B) The commandments

1) No other gods

(a) No images

2) Do not take name of Yahweh in vain

3) Keep holy the Sabbath day

4) Honor father and mother

5) You shall not kill

6) Do not commit adultery

7) You shall not steal

8) You shall not bear false witness vs. your neighbor

9) You shall not covet: house, wife, slaves, possessions

C) Role of the commandments

1) Limits of covenant life

2) Trajectory to the future



3) See Patrick D. Miller, The Ten Commandments (Interpretation: Resources for the Use of

Scripture in the Church; Louisville, KY: WestminsterJohnKnox Press, 2009)

III. Other Laws

A) General

1) Covenant code

2) Apply the basic obligations

3) We’ll describe more broadly

B) Laws regarding worship

1) Feasts

2) Sacrifices

C) Laws regarding others

1) Courts

(a) Procedures to follow

(b) Status and family: resident alien (ger)

(c) Concern for the poor who can be abused

2) Crimes

(a) Serious: homicide

(b) Lex talionis: a guiding principle to mitigate violence

3) Contracts

(a) Sale, hire, betrothal

(b) Debt and redemption

4) See Raymond Westbrook and Bruce Wells, Everyday Law in Biblical Israel (Louisville,

KY: WestminsterJohnKnox Press, 2009)



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What might it mean to say that the ten commandments both set limits for covenant life and have a

trajectory to expand in the future?

2. From a Christian point of view, do you think it is enough to “live the ten commandments”? Are they

a sufficient guide?



Topic 11: Tabernacle and Worship: Part I (Exodus 25-40)

I. Introduction

A) Long and boring section

B) Represents almost 1/3 of book of Exodus

II. Tabernacle and Ark

A) Tabernacle

1) Latin: taberna/ tabernaculum (tent)

2) Hebrew: mishkan (dwelling)

3) Tent shrine

B) Ark

1) ‘aron: a box, 45” x 27” x 27”

2) Portable Mt. Sinai: presence of God

3) Storage place/filing cabinet for tablets of the law

III. Instruction and Construction

A) Instruction: Seven speeches (25:1-31:18)

1) 25:1-30-10: dwelling and its furnishing

2) 30:11-16: census tax

3) 30:17-21: laver/basin

4) 30:22-33: anointing oil

5) 30:34-38: incense

6) 31:1-11: choice of artisans

7) 31:12-17: Sabbath

B) Construction (35:1-40:38)

1) “Just as God commanded”: 18 times

2) Parallels with Gen 1:1-2:4

(a) Gen 1:31 / Exodus 39:43

(b) Gen 2:1 / Exodus 39:32



(c) Gen 2:2 / Exodus 40:33

(d) Gen 2:3 / Exodus 39:43

C) Two unusual phrases

1) “Wind of God” (ruah elohim): Gen 1:2; Exodus 31:3; 35:13

2) Lamp (ma’or): Gen 1:14-16; Exodus 25:6; 27:20; 35:8, 14, 28; 39:37

D) When is the Dwelling completed?

1) First day of the first month

2) End of flood: Gen 8:13

3) God “moves in”: cloud and the glory

4) Solomon’s temple: 1 Kings 7:14, 40; 8:10-12)

E) Goal is reached

1) Goal of the exodus (Exodus 29:45-46)

2) Goal of creation

IV. Dwelling and Creation

A) Both go together

B) Microcosm/macrotemple

C) Tabernacle-space; Sabbath-time

D) Computer analogy

E) Shape of our Bible

1) Jewish: Genesis 1/ 2 Chronicles 36

2) Christian: Genesis 1/ Revelation 21-22



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What does “tabernacle” mean? Does this help us to understand the meaning of “tabernacle” in our

churches?

2. Why is the building of the tent/tabernacle so important?



Topic 12: Crisis of Covenant: Tabernacle and Worship: Part II (Exodus 25-40)

I. Crisis of covenant

A) Golden Calf (Exodus 32)

1) People weary

2) Connected to I Kings 12:26-32

3) People “revel”

4) Back to the top of the mountain

(a) “Whose people?”

(b) Two arguments (oral culture)

5) Moses goes down

B) Arguments over presence (Exodus 33)

1) “I will not go up among you;” a messenger (vv) 1-6)

2) The tent outside the camp (vv) 7-11)

3) “My face will go with you” (vv) 12-16)

4) “Show me your glory” (vv) 17-23)

C) Renewal of Covenant (Exodus 34)

1) Theophany (vv) 5-9)

(a) The 13 Attributes of God

2) Covenant renewal (vv) 10, 27)

3) Law (vv) 11-26)

4) Moses’ shining face (vv) 29, 35) Qaran/qeren

D) Crisis passed

II. Tabernacle and Worship

A) Connection with creation

1) Priestly writing

2) Elsewhere, eg. Psalm 74



B) Worship and creation

1) Sabbath and tent

2) “Back to reality”

3) Orthonoia/paranoia/metanoia

C) Worship concerns point us ahead to Leviticus

1) Fulfill instructions of Exodus 28-29 in Leviticus 8

2) Worship system in Leviticus

III. End of the Book

A) Broad overview: 2 parts

B) Movement in the book

1) Slavery to worship

2) Bondage to Pharaoh to service of Yahweh

3) Freedom from slavery to freedom for Yahweh

4) From chaos to creation



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What was the problem in the golden calf incident? Do we have trouble waiting for what God is

doing in our lives?

2. What do the attributes of God mentioned in Exodus 34:6-7 mean to you? How do they relate to the

God revealed in and through Jesus Christ?

3. Do you think the Exodus view of worship and its relationship to creation can still have meaning for

us today in our worship?



Topic 13: Exodus and History

I. The Problem

A) Bible is history—Yes

B) It’s all fiction—No

C) It’s somewhere in-between—Yes and No

II. Doing History

A) Sources

1) Bible, text

2) Outside the bible (from archeology)

(a) Texts

(b) Artifacts

3) Interpreted in themselves and in relation to each other

B) Historian

III. The Bible

A) Bible is not “simply history

B) Date

1) 1 Kings 6:1—480 years

2) Sojourn in Egypt (400? 4 generations?)

C) Names

1) Pharaoh

2) Cities of Pithom and Ramses

(a) Pithom: Tell Retaba?

(b) Ramses: Qantir?

3) Land of Goshen

4) Moses

D) Geography

1) Route of exodus



2) Yam Suph

3) Mt. Sinai

E) Conclusions

IV. Outside the Bible

A) Mention of Exodus events?

1) Mernepteh Stele (ca) 1208 B.C.)

2) Amarna Letters and Habiru (ca) 1350 B.C.)

B) General historical analogies

1) Descent into Egypt

(a) Slaves

(b) Traders

(c) Refugees

(d) Famine

(e) Hyksos (1648-1540 B.C.)

2) Sojourn in Egypt

(a) Asiatics were there

(b) Many were slaves

(c) Names of some are known (Beya and Aper-El)

(d) Plagues

3) Departure from Egypt

(a) Expulsion of Hyksos (ca) 1550 B.C.)

(b) Fleeing slaves

C) Date

1) Take account of the “whole story”

2) General consensus

(a) Late Bronze Age (1550-1200 B.C.)

(b) New Kingdom (1560-1070 B.C.)



3) Three proposals

(a) Mid 16th

century (ca) 1550)

(b) Mid 15th

century (ca) 1450)

(c) Mid 13th

century (ca) 1250)

V. Conclusions



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. “If the Bible says it happened, then it happened!” What do you think of this approach? How would

you respond to it?

2. In the light of the Bible and ancient Near Eastern evidence, what can we say about the Exodus

story?



Topic 14: Exodus and the Bible

I. The Old Testament

A) Deuteronomy

1) Name

2) Laws (eg. Exodus 21:2-11//Deut 15:12-17)

3) Narrative

B) Deuteronomic History (Joshua/Judges/Samuel/Kings

1) Joshua 3-4: entry into the land

2) Elijah (1 Kings 18-19, 21)

(a) Worship only Yahweh (18)

(b) Return to Horeb (Sinai) (19)

(c) Social Justice (21)

C) Prophets

1) Amos (2:10; 3:1-2; 9:7)

2) Hosea (1:9; 4:1-3; 11:1-2l 12:13; 13:4-7)

3) Jeremiah (1:4-8; 7:1-11)

4) Isaiah 40-55 (Second Isaiah) (43:16, 18-19; 51:9-11)

D) Psalms

1) 78 and 105 mentioned in reference to the plagues

2) 95:7-11

E) Wisdom

1) Wisdom of Solomon (10:15-18; 11:6-19:21)

II. New Testament

A) Gospel of Matthew

1) Parallels between Moses/Israel and Jesus/Israel (chapters 2-5)

2) Five discourses (sermon on the mount [5-7]; discipleship [10] Parables [13]; church [18];

the end [24-25])



B) Gospel of John

1) New tabernacle/temple (1:14; 2:18-22)

2) New paschal lamb (1:29; 8:28; 19:14, 31, 36)

3) New manna (6)



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. How do the Elijah stories (1 Kings 18-19, 21) sort of sum up Israel’s Sinai/Horeb experience?

Would you say he is fairly typical of the prophets who come after him?

2. Jesus is the new tabernacle/temple, the paschal lamb, the manna from heaven. How does the

Exodus story help us to appreciate these statements?



Topic 15: Exodus: Paradigm of Liberation

I. Individual

A) Psychological

1) Born with drives

2) Grow to freedom

3) Stages of “death/rebirth”

B) Spiritual

1) Baptism

2) Series of “conversions”

3) “Nostalgia”?

C) Danger—can’t stop with the individual

II. Social-Political

A) Puritans to America (1620-40)

1) Roots in English reformation

2) Filled with exodus language/typology

B) Boers (1836-1838)

C) The “full story”

D) Liberation theologies

1) African-American experience

2) Martin Luther King, Jr)

3) Others

(a) Latin American, Asian, Feminist, Gay/Lesbian/Bi-sexual/Transgender

E) Summary

1) Exodus story can be abused

2) Temptation to demonize the “other”

3) Tendency to violence

4) Goal of exodus



5) Other biblical paradigms

(a) Reconciliation of brothers (Jacob/Esau; Joseph/his brothers)

(b) Seek the peace (welfare) of that city (Jeremiah 29:7)

III. Remembering

A) Passover

1) Originally separate; new meanings

2) Carrying out the rituals: living reality

3) Household celebration

4) Passover haggadah (narration)

B) Christian Eucharist

1) Was it a Passover meal?

2) The paschal mystery

3) Blood of the new covenant

4) New manna

5) “Do this in memory of me”

C) Liturgy: a “counter-imagination”



REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Have you had an “exodus experiences” in your own life? Do you see any coming in the future?

2. The Exodus paradigm offers a strong vision of hope, which is good. Do you see any “shadow side”

to it?

3. The Exodus is “mnemohistory,” “remembered history.” How and where do we in fact remember it

and how can this help us in our covenant lives today?



Suggested Readings

INDIVIDUAL VOLUMES

John I. Durham, Exodus (Word Biblical Commentary 3; Waco, TX: Word Books

Publisher, 1987).

Terence E. Fretheim, Exodus (Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and

Preaching; Louisville, KY: WestminsterJohnKnox, 1991).

Carol Meyers, Exodus (The New Cambridge bible Commentary; Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press, 2005).

Nahum Sarna, Exploring Exodus: The Heritage of Biblical Israel (New York, NY:

Schocken Books, 1986).

IN COMMENATARIES

Walter Brueggemann, “The Book of Exodus,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 1

Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1994) 675-981.

Richard J. Clifford, S.J., “Exodus,” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (R.E. Brown,

J.A. Fitzmyer, R.E. Murphy, eds; Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990)

Article # 3, pp. 44-60.

P. Kyle McCarter, Jr., “Exodus,” HarperCollins Bible Commentary, rev. ed. (J.L.

Mays, ed.; San Francisco, CA: HarperSan Francisco, 2000) 119-144.

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