Exodus!!

Lesson*#2*“Moses,*Prince*of*Egypt”*

(Exodus(1:(1(+22)((

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In(Lesson(#1(we(examined(ancient(Egypt,(in(par@cular(the(Egypt(that(is(the(seCng(for(the(Book(of(Exodus.((Egypt(from(the(@me(of(Joseph(un@l(the(@me(of(Moses(was(a(dazzling(culture,(the(most(advanced(and(prosperous(civiliza@on(on(the(face(of(the(earth.((

Based(on(internal(consistency(with(the(overall(biblical(narra@ve,(we(set(the(date(of(the(Exodus(at(1446(B.C.,(squarely(within(Egypt’s(18th(Dynasty,(and(we(iden@fied(the(drama<s*personae*of(the(story(as:((

Thutmose(I((1526+1508)—the(Pharaoh(who(drowned(the(Hebrew(babies;(Princess(Hatshepsut((1504+1482)—the(Princess(who(saved(Moses.(Thutmose(III((1482+1450(B.C.)—the(Pharaoh(of(the(persecu@on;(Amunhotep(II((1450+1425(B.C.)—the(Pharaoh(of(the(Exodus.(((((

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In(addi@on,(we(examined(the(historicity(of(the(Exodus(as(it(is(presented(in(Scripture,(recognizing(that(although(the(story(is(set(at(a(par@cular(@me(and(place(in(history(with(real(people(as(primary(characters(in(the(story,(the(Exodus(is(first(and(foremost(a(work(of(literature,(the(story(of(redemp@on(writ(on(an(grand,(epic(scale,(the(story(of(God’s(interac@on(with(humanity(as*viewed*through*the*lens*of*a*living*faith*tradi<on.(((((((

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In(Lesson(#2(we(witness(the(plight(of(the(enslaved(Israelites(and(we(meet(Moses,(one(of(the(great(characters(of(Scripture.((Born(to(a(Levite(couple,(Pharaoh’s(daughter(saves(him(from(the(infan@cide(ordered(by(her(father.((Ironically,(Moses(is(adopted(by(Pharaoh’s(daughter(and(brought(up(in(the(household(of(Pharaoh,(a(prince(of(Egypt.((((

In(Acts(7:(22,(Stephen(tells(us(that(“Moses(was(educated([in](all(the(wisdom(of(the(Egyp@ans(and(was(powerful(in(his(words(and(deeds.”((Moses(had(been(groomed(and(posi@oned(for(leadership(in(Egypt,(perhaps(as(a(great(statesman,(poli@cian(or(general.(((

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Then(at(40(years(old,(in(a(moment(of(righteous(indigna@on(and(astoundingly(poor(judgment,(Moses(throws(it(all(away(by(killing(an(Egyp@an(who(was(abusing(a(Hebrew(slave.((His(crime(discovered,(Moses(flees(Egypt,(a(wanted(criminal,(running(all(the(way(east(to(the(backside(of(the(desert(in(the(land(of(Midian.((There(he(goes(“off(the(grid”(for(the(next(40(years,(working(as(a(shepherd,(the(lowliest(of(occupa@ons.(!

Psalm(90(is(ascribed(to(Moses,(and(in(it(he(writes:((“Seventy(is(the(sum(of(our(years,(or(eighty,(if(we(are(strong”((Psalm(90:(10).((To(any(objec@ve(reader(Moses(has(reached(the(end(of(his(life,(a(total(failure.(((((((

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Exodus(1:(1+7([And]*these*are*the*names*of*the*sons*of*Israel*who,*accompanied*by*their*households,*entered*into*Egypt*with*Jacob:*Ruben,*Simeon,*Levi*and*Judah;*Issachar,*Zebulun*and*Benjamin;*Dan*and*Naphtali;*Gad*and*Asher.*The*total*number*of*Jacob’s*direct*descendants*was*seventy.**Joseph*was*already*in*Egypt.*Now*Joseph*and*all*his*brothers*and*that*whole*genera<on*died.*But*the*Israelites*where*fruiTul*and*prolific.**They*mul<plied*and*became*so*very*numerous*that*the*land*was*filled*with*them.*(((((((

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Exodus(1:(1+7,(cont.([And]*these*are*the*names*of*the*sons*of*Israel*who,*accompanied*by*their*households,*entered*into*Egypt*with*Jacob:*Exodus(begins(in(the(Hebrew(language(with,(“[And](these*are*the*names*of*the*sons*of*Israel(.(.(..”(((Two(things(are(important(about(this(beginning.((First,(“[And]*these*are*the*names*.(.(.”(suggests(that(Exodus(con@nues(Genesis;(it(is(the(next(chapter(in(an(on+going(story;(it(is(not—from(a(literary(perspec@ve—a(separate,(independent(book.((The(first(word(in(the(Hebrew(text(is(“And”((the(par@cle(waw),(sugges@ng(a(direct,(unbroken(con@nua@on(of(the(Genesis(narra@ve.((

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Exodus(1:(1+7,(cont.([And]*these*are*the*names*of*the*sons*of*Israel*who,*accompanied*by*their*households,*entered*into*Egypt*with*Jacob:*Second,(the(Hebrew(phrase(benay(Israel(means(literally(“the(sons(of(Israel.”((Many(modern(transla@ons(render(this(phrase(“the(Israelites,”(missing(the(subtle(dis@nc@on(that(the(people(who(come(out(of(Egypt(are(God’s(“sons”(who(must(be(taught(by(their(father(and(who(must(grow(in(their(rela@onship(with(him.((Throughout(the(Torah((Genesis(through(Deuteronomy),(God’s(covenant(people(are(consistently(called(“the(sons(of(Israel.”(As(Robert(Alter(points(out(in(The*Five*Books*of*Moses((p.(307),(the(masculine(plural(form(of(the(Hebrew(ben((the(word(used(here)(also(means(“children,”(but(it(is(clear(here(and(in(Genesis(46(that(only(the(male(offspring(make(up(the(seventy(who(emigrate(to(Egypt;(hence,(the(correct(transla@on(“sons.”((Nevertheless,(the(connota@on(of(“children”(suggests(that(the(Israelites(are(in(the(early(stage(of(their(rela@onship(with(God(and(that(they(have(much(to(learn(as(they(“grow(up.”((

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Exodus(1:(1+7,(cont.([And]*these*are*the*names*of*the*sons*of*Israel*who,*accompanied*by*their*households,*entered*into*Egypt*with*Jacob:*Ruben,*Simeon,*Levi*and*Judah;* *(4)*Issachar,*Zebulun*and*Benjamin;* *(3)(Dan*and*Naphtali;*Gad*and*Asher.*(4)(No@ce(how(the(eleven(sons(are(listed(in(two(sets(of(four,(with(a(set(of(three(in(the(middle,(giving(a(formal(symmetry(to(the(list.((Nicely(done!(The*total*number*of*Jacob’s*direct*descendants*was*seventy.***Literally,(“And(all(these(persons(springing(from(the(loins(of(Jacob(were(seventy(persons(.(.(..”((“Springing(from(the(loins”(is,(as(Robert(Alter(points(out,(a(euphemis@c(metonymy(for(“tes@cles.”(The(imagery(is(extremely(vivid(and(very(earthy,(ending(with(the(symbolic(number(70,(a(number(sugges@ng(Jacob’s(prodigious(fer@lity,(resul@ng(in(fulfillment(and(comple@on.(

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Exodus(1:(1+7,(cont.(**.*.*.*the*total*number*of*Jacob’s*direct*descendants*was*seventy.**Joseph*was*already*in*Egypt.*“Joseph(was(already(in(Egypt”(takes(us(back(to(Genesis(37:(1(–(50:(26,(the(Jacob/Joseph(story,(the(concluding(panel(of(the(Genesis(triptych,(reinforcing(the(con@nuity(of(the(narra@ve(introduced(with(the(opening(“[And]*these*are*the*names*of*the*sons*of*Israel*.*.*.”(in(verse(1.((

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Exodus(1:(1+7,(cont.(**.*.*.*the*total*number*of*Jacob’s*direct*descendants*was*seventy.**Joseph*was*already*in*Egypt.(Now*Joseph*and*all*his*brothers*and*that*whole*genera<on*died.*But*the*Israelites*where*fruiTul*and*prolific.**They*mul<plied*and*became*so*very*numerous*that*the*land*was*filled*with*them.*Literally,(“And(Joseph(died,(and(all(his(brothers(with(him,(and(all(that(genera@on.”((When(we(len(Joseph(at(the(end(of(Genesis,(we(len(him(alone(“in*a*coffin*in*Egypt.”((Here,(“his(brothers”(and(“all(that(genera@on”(join(him(in(death.((Men@oning(the(death(of(Joseph(here(links(back(to(the(last(phrase(in(Genesis,(an(example(of(“resump@ve(repe@@on,”(in(which(aner(an(interrup@on(of(narra@ve(con@nuity,(the(narra@ve(is(resumed(by(repea@ng(the(phrase(where(the(interrup@on(began.(

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Exodus(1:(1+7,(cont.(**.*.*.*the*total*number*of*Jacob’s*direct*descendants*was*seventy.**Joseph*was*already*in*Egypt.(Now*Joseph*and*all*his*brothers*and*that*whole*genera<on*died.*But*the*Israelites*where*fruiTul*and*prolific.**They*mul<plied*and*became*so*very*numerous*that*the*land*was*filled*with*them.*We(have(already(alluded(to(Jacob’s(prodigious(fer@lity(in(verse(3.((Here,(we(might(translate(more(literally:((“And*the*sons*of*Israel*were*fruiTul*and*swarmed*and*mul<plied*and*grew*very*vast,*and*the*land*[same(Hebrew(word(as(“the(earth”(in(Genesis(1](was*filled*with*them.”(((Exodus(1:(7(echoes(Genesis(1,(the(crea@on(story:((just(as(God(created(all(that(is(in(Genesis(1,(so(he(creates(the(Israelite(na@on(in(Exodus(1.((As(Jacob(was(prodigiously(fer@le,(so(are(“the(sons(of(Israel”(prodigiously(fer@le.(

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In(one(den(and(carefully(designed(movement,(Exodus(1:(1+7(reaches(back(into(Genesis(1,(ripples(all(the(way(through(Genesis(50:(26((the(last(phrase(in(the(last(verse(of(Genesis)(and(produces(an(extraordinarily(@ght(narra@ve(

con@nuity(between(the(two(books.(((This*is*exquisite*cra[smanship*on*the*part*of*our*author!*

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If(we(look(back(on(Genesis(12+50((the(main(body(triptych:((the(Abraham/Isaac;(Isaac/Jacob;(and(Jacob/Joseph(stories)(we(find(that(our(narra@ve(draws(uniquely(human(portraits(of(each(character,(very(specific(in(detail,(tone(and(texture.((The(chapters(read(in(many(ways(like(a(rive@ng,(melodrama@c(novel.((

In(Exodus(these(precisely(drawn(characters(expand(into(a(generic(people(numbering(in(the(hundreds(of(thousands.((Once(again,(as(Robert(Alter(observes:((

“In*keeping*with*this*new*wide]angle*lens*through*which*the*characters*and*the*events*are*seen,*the*narra<ve*moves*from*the*domes<c,*moral,*and*psychological*realism*of*the*Patriarchal*Tales*to*a*more*stylized,*some<mes*deliberately*schema<c,*mode*of*storytelling*that*in*a*number*of*respects,*especially*in*the*early*chapters*of*the*book,*has*the*feel*of*a*folktale.”(

( ( ( ( ( ( ((The*Five*Books*of*Moses,(p.(300)((((((((((

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• Pharaoh(morphs(from(a(unique(individual(in(the(Joseph(story(to(the(generic(“king(of(Egypt”(in(Exodus,(the(archetypical(evil(king(who(kills(babies.(((• Two(virtuous(midwives(tend(to(legions(of(childbearing(Hebrew(women(who(are(described(as(“animals”(who(quickly(squat(down(and(give(birth,(even(before(the(midwives(arrive.(((• Moses,(the(future(hero,(is(threatened(with(death(by(the(evil(king(and(is(saved(by(being(hidden(and(then(rescued(and(reared(by(a(virtuous(woman((recall*the*same*mo<f*in*Ma_hew*when*the*evil*king*Herod*orders*the*killing*of*all*the*babies*in*Bethlehem.**Jesus*is*taken*to*Egypt*where*he*is*hidden,*then*rescued*a[er*Herod’s*death*and*raised*by*a*virtuous*woman,*Mary).((((((((

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We(see(such(folkloric(parallels(to(the(Exodus(story(in(literature(as(early(as(2300(B.C.,(in(the(legend(about(the(great(Sargon,(king(of(Akkad:((

Sargon*the*Mighty,*king*of*Akkad*am*I.*My*mother*was*a*high*priestess,*my*father*I*knew*not*.*.*.*My*mother,*the*high*priestess,*conceived*me,*in*secret*she*bore*me.*She*set*me*in*a*basket*of*rushes,*with*bitumen*she*sealed*my*lid.*She*cast*me*into*the*river*which*rose*not*[over]*me.*The*river*bore*me*up*and*carried*me*to*Akki,*the*drawer*of*water.*Akki,*the*drawer*of*water,*[took*me]*as*his*son*[and]*reared*me.*While*I*was*a*gardener,*Ishtar*granted*me*[her]*love.*And*for*[many]*years*I*exercised*kingship.*

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Examples,(cont.(

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In(Exodus(even(God(himself(morphs(from(the(anthropomorphic(figure(in(Genesis,(who(walks(in(the(Garden(with(Adam(and(Eve(and(has(dinner(and(a(debate(with(Abraham,(into(the(mysterious(figure(of(“I(am”(who(speaks(from(within(a(burning(bush(and(is(wreathed(in(smoke(and(fire(atop(a(thunderous(and(incandescent(Mt.(Sinai.((

Unlike(in(Genesis(where(God(walks(among(his(people,(in(Exodus(God(is(remote,(mysterious(and(enormously(powerful,(wreaking(havoc(on(Egypt,(slaying(all(the(firstborn(of(the(Egyp@ans(and(warning(the(Israelites(not(to(approach(his(mountain(or(“else(he(will(break(out(against(them”((19:(24)(and(they(will(all(perish(instantly.(((((((

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As(the(main(body(of(Genesis(is(built(on(the(tripar@te(structure(of(the(Abraham/Isaac,(Isaac/Jacob,(Jacob/Joseph(stories,(so(is(Exodus(built(on(three(thema@cally(defined(spaces:(((1)  Egypt(as(a(place(of(bondage((

((Its(space(is(associated(with(water:((the(central(waterway(of(the(Nile,(where(Moses(is(saved(and(the(ten(plagues(begin;(and(the(Red(Sea,(through(which(the(Israelites(must(pass(and(in(which(the(Egyp@an(army(is(drowned.);(

2) (The(Wilderness((((Its(space(is(associated(with(parched(dryness(and(fire:((sand(and(jagged(rock(forma@ons(make(up(its(landscape,(where(the(people(desperately(thirst(for(water;(Mt.(Sinai,(spewing(divine(fire;(the(pillar(of(fire(that(protects(and(guides(the(Israelites(through(their(wilderness(wanderings);(and(

3) (The(Promised(Land((((Its(space(is(associated(with(milk(and(honey:((situated(beyond(well+watered(Egypt(and(the(burning,(fiery(desert,(it(is(a(Land(that(remains(just(over(the(horizon,(a(Utopia(that(is(not(fully(realized(un@l(Revela@on(21+22,(the(conclusion(of(our(Scriptural(narra@ve).(((

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The(first(words(of(Exodus—“[And](these*are*the*names”—is(the(Hebrew(@tle(of(the(book,(Sh’mot((=(“Names”).((“Exodus”(is(the(@tle(used(by(St.(Jerome(in(his(finh+century(A.D.(La@n(transla@on,(and(it(is(derived(from(the(Greek(words(ek,(meaning(“out”(and(hodos,(meaning(

“road”:((“out+road,”(or(Exodus.((So,(let(us(begin(our(journey!(

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Land(of(Goshen(((!!

Via(Maris(((Main(Trade(Route(into(Egypt)(

The(Hebrews(came(into(Egypt(during(the(Hyksos(period,(the(@me(of(“foreign(chiefs”.(((They(have(now(mul@plied(prodigiously((and(they(occupy(the(land(of(Goshen.(If(Egypt(is(invaded(again,(the(invaders(will(come(from(the(north,(down(the(Via(Maris,(and(they(will((encounter(the(enslaved(Hebrews,(who(will(doubtless(support(the(invaders.(((As(Exodus(opens,(the(Hebrews(have((become(a(serious(na@onal(security(threat((to(Egypt.(

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“Birthing(Stool,”(Kom(Ombo(Temple,(Egypt.(Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*

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William(Blake.((“The(Compassion(of(Pharaoh’s(Daughter”((pen,(ink(and(watercolor(over(pencil),(1805.((Victoria(and(Albert(Museum,(London.((

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She(named(him(“Moses”((

We(read(in(Scripture(that(when(Pharaoh’s(daughter(found(the(child(“She*named*him*Moses;*for*she*said,*‘I*drew*him*out*of*the*water’”((Exodus(2:(10).((

“Moses”(is(not(a(Hebrew(name,(it(is(Egyp@an,(meaning(“son(of(the(water.”((In(Egyp@an(hieroglyphs(a(wavy(line(means(“water,”(and(it(is(pronounced(“moo,”(while(the(figure(of(a(duck(means(“son(of,”(and(it(is(pronounced,(“sa.”((Put(together,(the(two(words—“moo]sa”—give(us(“Moses,”(“son(of(the(water.”(

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The*three*elements*here*are:**1)*the*sun*disk*represen<ng*Ra*the*sun*god;*2)*the*duck,*which*means*“son*of”;*and*3)*the*bowl,*represen<ng*the*land.**Translated,*the*hieroglyphs*mean*“son*of*Ra,*master*of*the*land.*

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Here(is(an(example(of(hieroglyphs(taken(from(the(Philae(Temple(in(Aswan,(Egypt(using(both(words.(

The*four*elements*here*are:**1)*the*snake,*meaning*“his*majesty”;*2)*the*triangle,*“give”;*3)*the*wavy*lines,*“water”;*and*4)*the*bowl,*“the*land.”**Translated,*the*hieroglyphs*mean,*“Give*to*his*majesty,*master*of*the*land,*the*purified*waters.”**

Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*

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Sahara(Desert(Sinai((

Peninsula(

Nile(River(!(

Red(Sea(!(

Mediterranean(Sea(

Midian(

Ques@ons(for(discussion(and(thought(**

1.   Although(wriuen(as(a(separate,(independent(work,(Exodus(is(@ghtly(linked(to(Genesis,(producing(a(single,(con@nuous(narra@ve.((How(is(this(accomplished?(((

2.   How(does(Genesis(foreshadow(the(enslavement(of(the(Hebrews(in(Exodus?(

3.   What(elements(in(Exodus(characterize(the(work(as(“folktale”?(

4.   Exodus(2(contains(a(wonderful(example(of(irony.((What(is(it?(

5.   At(the(end(of(Exodus(2,(how(would(you(characterize(Moses?((

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Copyright(©(2014(by(William(C.(Creasy(( All( rights( reserved.( No( part( of( this( course—audio,( video,(photography,( maps,( @melines( or( other( media—may( be(reproduced(or(transmiued(in(any(form(by(any(means,(electronic(or( mechanical,( including( photocopying,( recording( or( by( any(informa@on( storage( or( retrieval( devices( without( permission( in(wri@ng(or(a(licensing(agreement(from(the(copyright(holder.(

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