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Adapted from the History of Christianity series by The Irreverent Historian. This is from “Part 1: Sacred Origins” covering the early era of the nation of Israel, the originators of Judaism, published in Gospel Light, vol. 13, June 2009. Read previous.
Many years passed, and the Israelites thrived and multiplied in Egypt. The new Pharaoh, who never heard of Joseph, feared that they would soon out number the Egyptians in their own land.
He implemented a forced labor program and ordered the death of all the Hebrew baby boys. One boy escaped death through the actions of his family. By a quirk of fate, he was found and adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter. His name was Moses. Moses became a liberator, peacefully leading the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt. It took Pharaoh a lot of convincing- ten supernatural Plagues that devastated the country, but left the Israelites unharmed.
The Israelites’ exodus from Egypt climaxed in a race of man against chariots across the Red Sea. The results were dramatic, and disastrous for the pursuing Egyptians who were drowned.
Modern scholars are skeptical of the accounts in the book of Exodus. No mention of this incident was ever recorded by Egyptian historians, who otherwise kept thorough records. So, perhaps it didn’t really happen!
As an aside, the reason for this omission is pretty obvious, no? (After all, that was a whopper of a defeat best swept under the rug…)
Moses is the most important prophet in Judaism. According to tradition, Moses wrote the Torah–-Genesis through Deuteronomy. The “Mosaic Law” written in the Torah (or Pentateuch) are the most holy scriptures in Judaism, and are still observed to this day.
Two festivals that feature Moses are celebrated today in Israel. Passover recalls the deliverance of the Israelites from the Tenth Plague of Egypt, and Shavuot commemorates the day when God gave the stone tablets bearing the Ten Commandments to Moses.
Because of their doubt and disobedience, all the Israelites who left Egypt, including Moses, did not set foot on the promised land. What took Jacob and family a few weeks, took the Israelites forty years.
Read next.
[:zh] Many years passed, and the Israelites thrived and multiplied in Egypt. ThenewPharaoh,whonever heard of Joseph, feared that they would soon outnumber the Egyptiansintheirownland. He implemented a forced labor programandorderedthedeathofall the Hebrew baby boys. One boy escapeddeaththroughtheactionsof
his family. By a quirk of fate, he was found and adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter. Hisnamewas . Moses became a liberator, peacefully leading the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt. It took Pharaoh a lot of convincing ten supernatural Plagues that devastated the country, but left the Israelitesunharmed. The Israelites’ exodus from Egypt climaxed in a race of man against chariots across the Red Sea. The results were dramatic, and disastrous for the pursuing Egyptianswhoweredrowned. Modern scholars are skeptical of the accounts in the book of Nomentionofthisincident was ever recorded by Egyptian historians, who otherwise kept thorough records. So, perhaps it didn’treallyhappen! As an aside, the reason for this omission is pretty obvious, no? (After all, that was a whopper of a defeatbestsweptundertherug[:]