The Exodus

Question 1

Birth of a Nation

Answer 1

• national charter
• promise of land
• shapes their identity for years to come
• takes up the majority of Pentateuch/Torah
• continually revised and reinterpreted by later generations
• final form achieved in the Babylonian exile and even post-exilic period

Question 2

Exodus as History

Answer 2

The narrative in Exodus focuses on the paradigmatic significance of the events and on celebrating them rather than the historical details

Question 3

Evidence for the Exodus? Pros

Answer 3

• Moses’ Egyptian name
• memory as a slave nation
• ANE evidence for Egyptian slavery of other nations
• Moses’ Midianite wife
• reference to the crossing of the sea in earliest poetic chapters
• enduring legacy of the Exodus throughout the Hebrew Bible

Question 4

Evidence for the Exodus? Cons

Answer 4

• no Egyptian evidence of Israelite slaves
• no evidence for the plagues
• unnamed Pharaoh
• inflated # of Hebrew slaves

Question 5

Revisiting Key Dates

Answer 5

• prior to 1020 BCE a group identified as Israel
• 1020-587 BCE Israel an independent nation (“the monarchs period” or “pre-exilic period”)
• 587 BCE Babylonians destroy the central government (“the exilic period”)
• 538 BCE Israel is briefly independent before being conquered by the Persians, Greeks, and Romans (“the post-exilic period”)

Question 6

Dating the Exodus

Answer 6

• Ramses II (1279-1213 BCE): built the city of Rameses
• Merneptah (ruled b/w 12-13-1203 BCE): Merneptah Stele - first mention of Israel
• Israel appears in the land of Canaan (1200’s BCE)
• A date of around 1250 BCE for the Exodus

Question 7

Exodus: The Structure

Answer 7

1. enslavement and liberation (1:1-15:21)
2. journey to Sinai (15:22-17:16)
3. covenanted lawgiving at Sinai (18:1-24:18)
4. the sanctuary and the golden calf (25-40)

Question 8

Change of Power

Answer 8

• at the end of Genesis Jacob and sons are in Egypt
• at the beginning of Exodus, the Israelites have multiplied
• a new king arises in Egypt who did not know Joseph
• forces the Israelites into sales to build their cities

Question 9

Origins of a Nation

Answer 9

• captivity of the Israelites
• calling to God for help
• Pharaoh’s decree to kill male children
• Moses’ rescue from death
• rescue occurs through the actions of 5 women

Question 10

Midwives versus Empire

Answer 10

• midwives Shiphrah and Puah are named verses a pharaoh who is forgotten
• how do the Hebrew women resist Pharaoh?
• “Because the Hebrew women re not like Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them”
• is there humour here?

Question 11

Black Moses

Answer 11

• Harriet Tubman (c. 1822-1913)
• 13 mission to save 70 enslaved peoples (after she escaped slavery)
• “Go down Moses”

Question 12

The Prophetic Call (Exod 3:1-4:23)

Answer 12

• important theophany (appearance of God) at the burning bush
• Tetragrammaton: divine name of God “I am who I am”
• Moses is portrayed as a prophet
• repentant to assume his role as prophet (model for later prophetic call narratives)

Question 13

Prophetic Call Narrative

Answer 13

• commission
• resistance
• reassurance
• acceptance

Question 14

The Reluctance of Moses: Moses’ Objections

Answer 14

• Who am I?
• What is his (God’s) name?
• Fear of unbelief
• I am slow of speech
• Please send someone else

Question 15

The Reluctance of Moses: God’s Reassurances

Answer 15

• I will be with you
• I am has sent you
• Staff - signs and wonders
• I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak
• Aaron shall speak for you

Question 16

The Plague Narrative (7-15)

Answer 16

• a contest between God and Pharaoh
• prove who is the most powerful
• Hebrew God against the Egyptian Pharaoh
• Egyptian magicians no match for Hebrew God
• God sides with the oppressed agains the powerful
• ultimate victory occurs at the Reed Sea (not red)

Question 17

Song at the Sea

Answer 17

Exod 15:1b-3

Question 18

A Different Perspective?

Answer 18

What would this scene look like fro the perspective of the Egyptians?
- “The works of my hands are drowning in the sea, and you would sing in my presence?” (Sanh. 39b)

Question 19

The Exodus Route

Answer 19

• biblical text says “Reed Sea” and not the Red Sea
• likely crossed a smaller Chanel or lagoon in the Northeast of Egypt

Question 20

An Enduring Memory

Answer 20

• the theme of liberation using Exodus imagery is found throughout the Hebrew Bible (Isaiah 51:9-11, Isaiah 43, Psalm 78)
• becomes the prototype act of salvation for the Israelite