The Exodus of the Hebrews Israelites from Egypt The

The Exodus of the Hebrews/Israelites from Egypt The Call of Moses; Departure from Egypt; the Covenant at Mount Sinai; the Wanderings in the Wilderness; and the Death and Burial of Moses across the Jordan from Jericho

Biblical Texts: The Book of Genesis Concluded: - Genesis 37: Joseph sold into Egypt; - Genesis 42: The Brothers’ First Journey to Egypt; - Genesis 43: The Second Journey to Egypt; - Genesis 46: Migration to Egypt; - Genesis 47: Settlement in Goshen in the East Nile Delta of Egypt; - Genesis 50: Jacob’s Funeral and the Death of Joseph.

Biblical Texts: The Book of Exodus: - Exodus 1. 1 -12. 36: The Israelites in Egypt; - Exodus 12. 37 -18. 27: The Exodus from Egypt and the Journey to Sinai; - Exodus 19. 1 -24. 18: The Covenant at Mount Sinai.

Biblical Texts: The Book of Numbers: - Numbers 1. 1 -10. 10: Preparation for the Departure from Sinai; - Numbers 10. 11 -22. 1: From Sinai to the Plains of Moab (east of the Jordan River and across from Jericho); - Numbers 22. 2 -36. 13: On the Plains of Moab.

Biblical Texts: The Book of Deuteronomy: - Deuteronomy, meaning “second law”; - not a new law but a partial repetition, completion and explanation of the law proclaimed on Mount Sinai (Deut 12. 1 -26. 19); - the historical portions of the book are also a resume of what is related elsewhere in the Pentateuch (Deut 1. 14. 43); - Deut 27. 1 -33. 29: Final Words of Moses; - Deut 34: Death and Burial of Moses.

The Book of Joshua: - Joshua 1. 1 -12. 24: Conquest of Canaan.

The Traditional Position on the Exodus, Covenant at Sinai, the Wilderness Wanderings; and the Death and Burial of Moses east of the Jordan follows the biblical story closely: - The Exodus and associated events dated to the 13 th century BC; - to the time of Pharaoh Ramesses II (1279 -1213 BC) of Egypt; - the Israelites/Hebrews located in the East Nile Delta of Egypt before their departure/exodus;

The Nile Delta in Northern Egypt.

Date Palms

Ramesses II – Mummified Remains.

Difficulties with the Traditionalists’ Position (see Textbook, p. 52): - No mention of such an event in any New Kingdom (1570 -1070 [Dyns. 18 -21]) Egyptian source, that is, an extra-biblical texts; - no trace of the early Hebrews in Egypt, for example, from extra-biblical texts and archaeology; - the presence of Egyptian forces along the northern coast of Sinai would have made such an escape difficult if not impossible – lots of evidence for this; - no Late Bronze remains in the rest of the Sinai Peninsula; - no Late Bronze presence at Kadesh-barnea where the Israelites are said to have encamped for a long time – archaeology of the site;

`Ayn Qadeis and `Ayn al-Qudeirat Location in Sinai.

Difficulties with the Traditionalists’ Position (see Textbook, p. 52): - the land of Canaan an Egyptian province at the time when the events related were supposed to have taken place – Tell el-Amarna Texts (14 th century BC); - many of the places mentioned in the story of the Exodus and the wanderings not inhabited before the 8 th or 7 th century BC.

Tell el-Amarna Tablet – 14 th century BC.

Finkelstein’s Position on the Exodus and Associated Events: - Follows Redford in seeing the geography of the Exodus in the eastern Delta and the personal names in the story as fitting the 7 th century BC, that is, close to the time when the biblical texts compiled; - a late date for the compilation of the texts would also fit most of the place names relative to the wandering in the desert; - the narrative could contain memories of the expulsion of the Hyksos from the Delta region of Egypt in the 16 th century BC; - Was the story of Israelites (of course, with God’s help) humiliating a great Egyptian pharaoh used to give hope to the people of Judah in the time of the authors? - the parallels between the Exodus from Egypt and the return from Exile in Babylon in the 6 th century BC (see Textbook, pp. 52 -53).

Hyksos Chariot.

Mazar’s Position on the Exodus and Associated Events (see Textbook, pp. 59 -61): - No evidence from archaeology of the Israelites/Hebrews’ stay in Egypt and the Exodus; - there is evidence, however, for Semites living in the East Nile Delta of Egypt throughout most of the 2 nd millennium BC; - Semites, the Hyksos, founded the Fifteenth Dynasty (ca. 16841567 BC) in Egypt; - Ramesses II built, in the 13 th century BC, a new city called Pi. Ramesse close to the location of the old capital city of the Hyksos at Avaris in the East Nile Delta; - this could be related to the portrayal of the Hebrews as building the city of Ramesses (Exodus 1. 8 -14); - Egyptian papyri tell of small groups of slaves escaping Egypt to the Sinai – this parallels in some way the biblical story of the Israelite slaves escaping Egypt;

Mazar’s Position on the Exodus and Associated Events (see Textbook, pp. 59 -61): - Archaeology provides evidence of Egyptian fortifications in the northern Sinai and south of Gaza; - But the Israelites did not take this route but went southward to avoid the Egyptian garrisons;

Mazar’s Position on the Exodus and Associated Events (see Textbook, pp. 59 -61): Nevertheless: - The story cannot be accepted as an historical event; - It must be seen as a national saga; - Cannot perceive an entire nation wandering through the desert for 40 years under Moses’ leadership; - Yet tradition rooted in the experience of a group of West Semitic slaves escaping the East Nile Delta in the 13 th century BC; - this group could have brought with them the story of the Exodus and new religious ideas;

Mazar’s Position on the Exodus and Associated Events (see Textbook, pp. 59 -61): - However, as archaeologists, we cannot provide any clues to the Exodus as an event that actually happened; - We cannot identify Mount Sinai; - No archaeological remains from the period found in the Sinai peninsula, including the oasis of Kadesh-barnea; - Yet, the Exodus story reflects a good knowledge of the East Nile Delta, the Sinai peninsula, the Negev, and Transjordan; - the biblical Red Sea ought to be translated as “Sea of Reeds” – Yam Suf; - what can be said is that the Exodus story is based on some remote memories rooted in the reality of the 13 th century BC;

Mount Sinai – Present Monastery.

Chapel at the Peak of Mount Sinai.

Kadesh-barnea – Oasis.

Mazar’s Position on the Exodus and Associated Events (see Textbook, pp. 59 -61): - other components of the story of the Exodus relating to the Negev and Transjordan refer to later features not established before the time of the Israelites monarchy, e. g. , the kingdom of Edom, or entirely unknown from actual history, e. g. , the Amorite kingdom of Sihon; - cannot corroborate the historicity of the Exodus; - however, provide a hint as to the earliest emergence of the story; - eventually, the story transmitted and adapted as a pan-Israelite one; - during the period of its transmission, it was constantly changed and elaborated on until it received the form in which we now have it in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.