(Exodus 15:1 - 15:21)
Moses and the men of Israel sang a song to their god. It went like this:
I sing to Jehovah joyously,
For he has triumphed gloriously,
Overturning horse and driver
And casting them into the sea.
Jehovah is the source of my strength
And the subject of my song of praise.
He has become my salvation.
He is my god, I glorify him!
God of my father, I exalt him!
Jehovah is like a man of war,
Mighty is the name of Jehovah!
The Pharaoh's army and chariots,
He did fling them into the water;
His chosen men and officers,
He did drown them in the Red Sea.
The waters covered them and they sank
To the bottom like a heavy stone.
In your right hand, O Jehovah,
Is strength amplified by glory.
By your right hand, O Jehovah,
Have you devastated the foe.
With your power and your glory
You put down those who rise against you.
In the fire of your seething wrath
Have you consumed them like stubble.
And in a blast of your anger
Were the waters gathered together;
The rushing currents standing on end,
Piled up in the middle of the sea.
But Jehovah's enemy did vow,
"I will pursue and overtake them;
I will rob them and divide the spoils;
I will avenge myself upon them;
I will draw my sword and attack them,
Destroying them with my own hands."
Your breath blew a gale against them
So that the waters overwhelmed
And drowned them, so that they did sink
Like lead into the depths of the sea.
Who is your equal among the gods,
O Jehovah! Who is your match?
So glorious in your godliness,
Inspiring adulation and awe,
Performing wondrous miracles ---
You stretched out your right hand and, lo!,
The earth swallowed up our enemies.
In loyal love have you led
Those you have set free from bondage;
And in godly might do you guide
Them to the land you have made holy.
Nations will hear the news and be alarmed.
Distress will seize the people of Palestine;
The sheiks of Edom will be sorely troubled;
Mighty men of Moab will tremble in fear;
The rulers of Canaan will faint dead away.
Overcome by fear and dread will they be,
Impassive as a stone before your power,
As your people, O Jehovah, pass through,
As those you have liberated make their way
To the land set aside as their legacy,
You will escort them there and settle them
In the home prepared for their habitation,
In the sanctuary, O Jehovah,
You have created for them with your own hands.
Jehovah will reign forever and ever!
(For the horses of the Pharaoh, with their chariots and drivers, went into the midst of the sea, but Jehovah brought the waters of the sea back down upon them, while the children of Israel walked through the middle of the sea dry shod.)
Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, picked up a tambourine and all the women followed her, playing their tambourines and cavorting in dance. She answered the men's song with one of her own, which began,
Let us sing a song to Jehovah,
For he has triumphed gloriously,
Casting horse and driver into the sea.
Notes
1. It is amazing that the Israelites, a race of brick-making slaves, are able, at almost a moment's notice, to compose a song to express their sense of triumph in their liberation. In it they rightfully thank Jehovah, but seem to say nothing about the virtues of personal freedom or the greatness of the nation they are going to build. The emphasis is, as always, on the negative and the destructive, getting revenge, intimidating and showing up other peoples. It is also curious that they chose to mention the reaction of other countries and speak of events that are yet to occur. Apparently a geopolitical sense has been instilled in this slave race.
2. Miriam is referred to as the sister of Aaron, but not, for some reason, as the sister of Moses. At any rate, her family origin probably singled her out as a leader of the women and it is she who leads the women in a song to answer that sung by the men. She plays the tambourine (or the ancient timbrel, a hand-held percussion instrument of Egyptian origin, not really any different from the modern tambourine, though, which is why I have used the modern term.) And she dances. She must have been a pretty spry gal, for, if Moses was past 80 years old at the time, she would have been pushing 90. Her song, not too strong on originality, seems to be a near duplicate of the men's song, but then, we don't know the tune, if there was one.
3. Miriam is spoken of as a prophetess, although we have yet to hear any of her prophecies or of her communion with Jehovah. Was she privy to the plans of her brothers Moses and Aaron? (It should be mentioned that in Islam she is not considered a prophetess, for, not surprisingly, in that religion only a man is worthy to be a prophet.)
4. Many translations refer here to horses and riders. This would not be strictly accurate because horses were not ridden at this period: they were only used to pull chariots. (Large horses were not yet bred and things like harnesses and saddles had yet to be invented.) Therefore, unless the reference is anachronistic, it should refer to horses and drivers (of chariots).
Showing posts with label exodus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exodus. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
The Pharaoh's Pursuit
(Exodus 13:17 - 14:31)
When the Israelites were at last freed by the Pharaoh, Jehovah did not guide them through the land of the Philistines, even though that was the shortest way to Canaan, for, he reasoned, they might encounter hostilities there, regret their decision, and return to Egypt. Instead, he led them by an indirect route through the desert toward the Red Sea. Even so, the Israelites marched out of Egypt like an army ready for battle.
Moses carried with him the mummified corpse of Joseph, who, before he died, had solemnly charged his people, "Jehovah will visit you in the future and come to your aid. At that time you must carry my remains with you when you leave Egypt.”
The Israelites journeyed from Succoth to Etham, where they camped on the edge of the desert. Jehovah guided them in an pillar-shaped aerial vehicle that appeared like a cloud during the day and glowed like a fire at night, lighting the way. By this means they could travel by both day and night, (for the ship was always in the sky, visible to the people).
Jehovah spoke to Moses, "Tell the Israelites that they should turn around and go back to camp beneath Pi-Hahiroth, which is between Magdal and the sea, opposite Baalzephon. They should make their camp by the sea. The Pharaoh will then assume that the Israelites, wandering about aimlessly, are trapped there, hemmed in by the desert. I will make the Pharaoh stubborn and he will come after them. I will then take my revenge upon the Pharaoh and his army so that the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah." And the Israelites did as they were ordered.
When the Pharaoh was informed that the Israelites had absconded, he and his court rued their decision to free them. The men at court discussed it among themselves and groused, "What possessed us to let the Israelites escape from our service?”
And so the Pharaoh harnessed his war chariot and called out his attendants. He assembled his elite corps of chariots, 600 of them, as well as all the other chariots of Egypt and the officers who commanded them. (Jehovah made the Pharaoh stubborn so he would continue to pursue the Israelites.) The Israelites had left victoriously, but now the Egyptians were chasing after them. The chariots of the Pharaoh, the horses and the charioteers, followed the track of the Israelites. And they caught up with them where they were encamped by the sea at Pi-Hahiroth, opposite Baalzephon.
When the forces of the Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel espied them advancing toward them and were greatly alarmed. They appealed to Jehovah -- and complained to Moses, "Are there no graves in Egypt that you have led us into the desert to die? Why did you lead us out of Egypt anyway? Didn't we tell you back in Egypt, 'Leave us alone and let us serve the Egyptians, for it's better to be their slaves than to die in the desert.'"
Moses proclaimed to the people, "Have no fear! Stand your ground and witness how Jehovah will save you this day, for the Egyptians that you now see, you will never see again. Jehovah will do battle for you while you hold your peace."
Jehovah said to Moses, "Why do you speak to me? Speak to the children of Israel. Tell them to advance. Raise your staff and reach it out over the sea to divide it so the people of Israel may pass through the sea on dry land. I will make the Pharaoh stubborn so he will pursue you. I will then take my revenge upon the Pharaoh, his army, his chariots and his charioteers, and when I have done so, the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah!”
The agent of Jehovah who had been guiding the people from the front now moved to the rear of their force. Jehovah's vehicle, which had been in front of the Israelite encampment, also moved and took a position behind it, in between the camp of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. It was but dark cloud to the Egyptians, but it left the Israelites in light, such that all night neither camp came near the other.
Moses stretched his arm over the sea and Jehovah caused a strong, hot east wind to part the waters of the sea. It blew all through the night and created a path of dry land on the seabed between parted waters. The Israelites, traveling out into the middle of the sea, tread upon the dry ground with the waters a wall beside them on the left and on the right.
The Egyptians, in hot pursuit, followed them onto the seabed, all the Pharaoh's chariots and their drivers. Dawn had broken and Jehovah was observing the Egyptians from his glowing, cloud-like vehicle in the sky. He threw the Egyptian army into disarray by clogging the wheels of their chariots so they had difficulty driving them. The Egyptians declared, "Let us retreat from the Israelites, for Jehovah is fighting on their side against us!"
Jehovah then told Moses, "Stretch out your arm over the sea that the waters may return and come down upon the Egyptians, their chariots and charioteers.”
Moses stretched out his arm toward the sea, and at dawn it resumed its accustomed depth. The Egyptians fled from it, but Jehovah brought the waters down upon them. When the waters returned, it inundated the chariots and their drivers; the entire army that came into the sea in pursuit were swept away and killed to the last man. But the Israelites continued to march across the dry land in the middle of the sea with the wall of water to the right of them and to the left of them.
Thus Jehovah saved the Israelites from the might of the Egyptians on that day. Observing the dead bodies of Egyptians washing upon the shore, the Israelites appreciated the miraculous power that Jehovah had employed against the Egyptians. And so they feared Jehovah and believed in him -- and in his servant Moses.
Notes
1. The route the departing Israelites has been a matter of much speculation, even though the biblical text mentions specific place names. Their direct route to Canaan was to the east, but they would have immediately run into the war-like Philistines, so, at Jehovah's behest, their course was directed southeast probably along what is now the Suez Canal. Succoth is on the easternmost part of the delta region while Etham, to the southeast, is on the edge of a desert that stretches east into the Sinai. The location of Pi-Hahiroth, Baalzephon and Magdal (which means "tower" or "raised land") have not been definitely determined but is most likely near salt-water lakes that connect to the western arm of the Red Sea. The crossing of the Red Sea, or Sea of Reeds as the text refers to it, is most likely here, in waters deep enough to drown chariots, but not so wide as to make crossing infeasible. Other scenarios and other locations have, however, been suggested.
2. Most translations describe Moses carrying with him the "bones" of Joseph with him to take back to Canaan to fulfill a promise his people made to the dying Joseph. "Bones" probably mean "remains." Joseph had been mummified so his corpse would have been wrapped and probably in a good state of preservation.
3. Jehovah appeared to the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, accompanying and guiding his people. It is not clear what to make of this description, but it surely refers to some kind of airship in which Jehovah was riding. For the ancients the only objects that could appear in the sky except for the heavenly bodies would be birds and clouds. If the ship was described as a cloud it only means that it resembled a cloud more than anything else. As for the pillar of fire, fire seems less likely than light. Flames can only result from something burning; a burning object hovering in the sky is not plausible. Illumination is always associated with fire, since, at that time, fire was the sole source of light save for the heavenly bodies, and it was probably generally assumed that the sun burned -- as indeed it does. (It was not yet realized that the light of the moon was merely the reflected light of the sun.) Thus, we have an airship that turned on its lights at night and, at one point, directed those lights to the Israelite encampment. The pillar description must refer to the shape of the object, cylindrical and elongated, rather like the large, cigar-shaped UFOs that have been sighted in modern times. A pillar, though, is thought of as upright and not on its side. It's strange to think of an airship vertical instead of horizontal, except when taking off, but that might have been its normal attitude when hovering, as the ship must have been doing. And it should not be overlooked that missiles and rockets might easily be described by ancients as pillars or columns.
4. True to character, the Pharaoh, incorrigibly stubborn, reneges on his pledge to free the Israelites and decides to go after his slaves and bring them back. Also, true to form, the Israelites are weak, vacillating, ungrateful, and skeptical; they want to go back to Egypt and return to slavery at the first sign of adversity.
5. The Pharaoh is able to muster 600 chariots and more, as well as a huge army. Where did all these men come from? Plague survivors? What did they have to eat in an Egypt whose food supply was destroyed by the just-described series of disastrous plagues? Where did the horses come from? Weren't they all killed off?
6. Not only was Jehovah leading the people from his airship, but there is a reference to one of his agents that was apparently on the ground acting as a guide, probably taking orders from Jehovah himself in the ship above. This is quite interesting, because he was not mentioned previously in the story.
7. Jehovah has Moses stretch out his arm and his staff to summon an east wind to blow all night in order to separate the waters to make a path for the Israelites to walk dry shod through the middle of the sea. This is preposterous on so many levels. First of all, a wind, if it was capable of blowing all the water in the sea, would blow it to the opposite bank (and drown the Israelites); it could hardly form a passage in the midst of the water. Some have suggested a reef might have been uncovered by a wind, but still, the water washed away from it would have come down upon the Israelites. It simply isn't possible that enough water could have been displaced to later inundate the Pharaoh's chariots when sea levels returned to normal. One might imagine a mammoth leaf blower could do the job described, but still, it would have to generate a super gale that would probably blow the Israelites back to Egypt. A tsunami might have caused a receding of the sea before its inundation of the shore. One feels that a memory of this sort of event might have inspired the story here. However, the mechanism by which a path through the sea could be formed with the water held back like walls on each side is not really possible. The parting of the sea, as it is told, is only feasible through some sort of miracle performed by mechanisms we cannot conceive.
8. If the sea bed had been exposed and dried up by the wind, it seems unlikely that it would have been very passable, especially while it was still dark (unless Jehovah's pillar of fire was furnishing enough light for the Israelites). Also, one has to consider how long it would take for the supposed two million people to make the passage. Could this be completed in the wee hours of the morning?
9. Before the sea returned to inundate the Egyptians, Jehovah clogged the wheels of the chariots so they would not make much progress. Most translations describe Jehovah removing the wheels from the chariots, but this seems less likely. Removing the chariot wheels would have been a difficult and senseless task. (What could Jehovah have done, send down an invisible army of angels to unfasten the wheels from their axles, or shoot them all off with a laser gun?) One supposes he impeded the progress of the chariots by simply reversing the drying up of the seabed and reconverting it to mud. Thus, clogged wheels.
10. At last the Israelites are impressed by Jehovah. We will see how long this will last!
When the Israelites were at last freed by the Pharaoh, Jehovah did not guide them through the land of the Philistines, even though that was the shortest way to Canaan, for, he reasoned, they might encounter hostilities there, regret their decision, and return to Egypt. Instead, he led them by an indirect route through the desert toward the Red Sea. Even so, the Israelites marched out of Egypt like an army ready for battle.
Moses carried with him the mummified corpse of Joseph, who, before he died, had solemnly charged his people, "Jehovah will visit you in the future and come to your aid. At that time you must carry my remains with you when you leave Egypt.”
The Israelites journeyed from Succoth to Etham, where they camped on the edge of the desert. Jehovah guided them in an pillar-shaped aerial vehicle that appeared like a cloud during the day and glowed like a fire at night, lighting the way. By this means they could travel by both day and night, (for the ship was always in the sky, visible to the people).
Jehovah spoke to Moses, "Tell the Israelites that they should turn around and go back to camp beneath Pi-Hahiroth, which is between Magdal and the sea, opposite Baalzephon. They should make their camp by the sea. The Pharaoh will then assume that the Israelites, wandering about aimlessly, are trapped there, hemmed in by the desert. I will make the Pharaoh stubborn and he will come after them. I will then take my revenge upon the Pharaoh and his army so that the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah." And the Israelites did as they were ordered.
When the Pharaoh was informed that the Israelites had absconded, he and his court rued their decision to free them. The men at court discussed it among themselves and groused, "What possessed us to let the Israelites escape from our service?”
And so the Pharaoh harnessed his war chariot and called out his attendants. He assembled his elite corps of chariots, 600 of them, as well as all the other chariots of Egypt and the officers who commanded them. (Jehovah made the Pharaoh stubborn so he would continue to pursue the Israelites.) The Israelites had left victoriously, but now the Egyptians were chasing after them. The chariots of the Pharaoh, the horses and the charioteers, followed the track of the Israelites. And they caught up with them where they were encamped by the sea at Pi-Hahiroth, opposite Baalzephon.
When the forces of the Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel espied them advancing toward them and were greatly alarmed. They appealed to Jehovah -- and complained to Moses, "Are there no graves in Egypt that you have led us into the desert to die? Why did you lead us out of Egypt anyway? Didn't we tell you back in Egypt, 'Leave us alone and let us serve the Egyptians, for it's better to be their slaves than to die in the desert.'"
Moses proclaimed to the people, "Have no fear! Stand your ground and witness how Jehovah will save you this day, for the Egyptians that you now see, you will never see again. Jehovah will do battle for you while you hold your peace."
Jehovah said to Moses, "Why do you speak to me? Speak to the children of Israel. Tell them to advance. Raise your staff and reach it out over the sea to divide it so the people of Israel may pass through the sea on dry land. I will make the Pharaoh stubborn so he will pursue you. I will then take my revenge upon the Pharaoh, his army, his chariots and his charioteers, and when I have done so, the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah!”
The agent of Jehovah who had been guiding the people from the front now moved to the rear of their force. Jehovah's vehicle, which had been in front of the Israelite encampment, also moved and took a position behind it, in between the camp of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. It was but dark cloud to the Egyptians, but it left the Israelites in light, such that all night neither camp came near the other.
Moses stretched his arm over the sea and Jehovah caused a strong, hot east wind to part the waters of the sea. It blew all through the night and created a path of dry land on the seabed between parted waters. The Israelites, traveling out into the middle of the sea, tread upon the dry ground with the waters a wall beside them on the left and on the right.
The Egyptians, in hot pursuit, followed them onto the seabed, all the Pharaoh's chariots and their drivers. Dawn had broken and Jehovah was observing the Egyptians from his glowing, cloud-like vehicle in the sky. He threw the Egyptian army into disarray by clogging the wheels of their chariots so they had difficulty driving them. The Egyptians declared, "Let us retreat from the Israelites, for Jehovah is fighting on their side against us!"
Jehovah then told Moses, "Stretch out your arm over the sea that the waters may return and come down upon the Egyptians, their chariots and charioteers.”
Moses stretched out his arm toward the sea, and at dawn it resumed its accustomed depth. The Egyptians fled from it, but Jehovah brought the waters down upon them. When the waters returned, it inundated the chariots and their drivers; the entire army that came into the sea in pursuit were swept away and killed to the last man. But the Israelites continued to march across the dry land in the middle of the sea with the wall of water to the right of them and to the left of them.
Thus Jehovah saved the Israelites from the might of the Egyptians on that day. Observing the dead bodies of Egyptians washing upon the shore, the Israelites appreciated the miraculous power that Jehovah had employed against the Egyptians. And so they feared Jehovah and believed in him -- and in his servant Moses.
Notes
1. The route the departing Israelites has been a matter of much speculation, even though the biblical text mentions specific place names. Their direct route to Canaan was to the east, but they would have immediately run into the war-like Philistines, so, at Jehovah's behest, their course was directed southeast probably along what is now the Suez Canal. Succoth is on the easternmost part of the delta region while Etham, to the southeast, is on the edge of a desert that stretches east into the Sinai. The location of Pi-Hahiroth, Baalzephon and Magdal (which means "tower" or "raised land") have not been definitely determined but is most likely near salt-water lakes that connect to the western arm of the Red Sea. The crossing of the Red Sea, or Sea of Reeds as the text refers to it, is most likely here, in waters deep enough to drown chariots, but not so wide as to make crossing infeasible. Other scenarios and other locations have, however, been suggested.
2. Most translations describe Moses carrying with him the "bones" of Joseph with him to take back to Canaan to fulfill a promise his people made to the dying Joseph. "Bones" probably mean "remains." Joseph had been mummified so his corpse would have been wrapped and probably in a good state of preservation.
3. Jehovah appeared to the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, accompanying and guiding his people. It is not clear what to make of this description, but it surely refers to some kind of airship in which Jehovah was riding. For the ancients the only objects that could appear in the sky except for the heavenly bodies would be birds and clouds. If the ship was described as a cloud it only means that it resembled a cloud more than anything else. As for the pillar of fire, fire seems less likely than light. Flames can only result from something burning; a burning object hovering in the sky is not plausible. Illumination is always associated with fire, since, at that time, fire was the sole source of light save for the heavenly bodies, and it was probably generally assumed that the sun burned -- as indeed it does. (It was not yet realized that the light of the moon was merely the reflected light of the sun.) Thus, we have an airship that turned on its lights at night and, at one point, directed those lights to the Israelite encampment. The pillar description must refer to the shape of the object, cylindrical and elongated, rather like the large, cigar-shaped UFOs that have been sighted in modern times. A pillar, though, is thought of as upright and not on its side. It's strange to think of an airship vertical instead of horizontal, except when taking off, but that might have been its normal attitude when hovering, as the ship must have been doing. And it should not be overlooked that missiles and rockets might easily be described by ancients as pillars or columns.
4. True to character, the Pharaoh, incorrigibly stubborn, reneges on his pledge to free the Israelites and decides to go after his slaves and bring them back. Also, true to form, the Israelites are weak, vacillating, ungrateful, and skeptical; they want to go back to Egypt and return to slavery at the first sign of adversity.
5. The Pharaoh is able to muster 600 chariots and more, as well as a huge army. Where did all these men come from? Plague survivors? What did they have to eat in an Egypt whose food supply was destroyed by the just-described series of disastrous plagues? Where did the horses come from? Weren't they all killed off?
6. Not only was Jehovah leading the people from his airship, but there is a reference to one of his agents that was apparently on the ground acting as a guide, probably taking orders from Jehovah himself in the ship above. This is quite interesting, because he was not mentioned previously in the story.
7. Jehovah has Moses stretch out his arm and his staff to summon an east wind to blow all night in order to separate the waters to make a path for the Israelites to walk dry shod through the middle of the sea. This is preposterous on so many levels. First of all, a wind, if it was capable of blowing all the water in the sea, would blow it to the opposite bank (and drown the Israelites); it could hardly form a passage in the midst of the water. Some have suggested a reef might have been uncovered by a wind, but still, the water washed away from it would have come down upon the Israelites. It simply isn't possible that enough water could have been displaced to later inundate the Pharaoh's chariots when sea levels returned to normal. One might imagine a mammoth leaf blower could do the job described, but still, it would have to generate a super gale that would probably blow the Israelites back to Egypt. A tsunami might have caused a receding of the sea before its inundation of the shore. One feels that a memory of this sort of event might have inspired the story here. However, the mechanism by which a path through the sea could be formed with the water held back like walls on each side is not really possible. The parting of the sea, as it is told, is only feasible through some sort of miracle performed by mechanisms we cannot conceive.
8. If the sea bed had been exposed and dried up by the wind, it seems unlikely that it would have been very passable, especially while it was still dark (unless Jehovah's pillar of fire was furnishing enough light for the Israelites). Also, one has to consider how long it would take for the supposed two million people to make the passage. Could this be completed in the wee hours of the morning?
9. Before the sea returned to inundate the Egyptians, Jehovah clogged the wheels of the chariots so they would not make much progress. Most translations describe Jehovah removing the wheels from the chariots, but this seems less likely. Removing the chariot wheels would have been a difficult and senseless task. (What could Jehovah have done, send down an invisible army of angels to unfasten the wheels from their axles, or shoot them all off with a laser gun?) One supposes he impeded the progress of the chariots by simply reversing the drying up of the seabed and reconverting it to mud. Thus, clogged wheels.
10. At last the Israelites are impressed by Jehovah. We will see how long this will last!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
The Exodus Begins
(Exodus 12:34 - 13:16)
The Israelites packed their bread dough before it could be leavened, bundled the bread pans in their cloaks, and carried them on their shoulders. They did had Moses had bid: they procured from the Egyptians vessels and jewelry of gold and silver and apparel. Jehovah had induced the Egyptians to view them favorably and so they complied with the Israelites and gave them whatever they demanded. (Indeed, the departing Israelites despoiled the Egyptians of their wealth and possessions.)
The Israelites thus journeyed from the city of Ramses to Succoth. They numbered about 600,000 men on foot, not counting children and the motley crew of people who accompanied them or the herds and flocks and the large amount of livestock. The Israelites baked the unleavened dough they had taken with them when they left Egypt and made flat bread. (They did not have time to leaven the bread since they undertook their journey in haste: they dared not delay and had no time to prepare a proper meal.)
The nomadic wanderings of the people of Israel who dwelt in Canaan and in Egypt comprised 430 years. At the end of that time, to the day, the people of Jehovah marched out of the land of Egypt arrayed in military formation. This then was a night to remember, when Jehovah led them out of Egypt -- a night to be commemorated by future generations.
Jehovah told Moses and Aaron, "This is the ceremonial feast of Passover. No stranger may take part in it and eat, but the purchased slave, if he has been circumcised, may join in it, but not the foreigner or the hired hand. The feast shall be consumed within the house and nothing taken outside to eat nor should any bone be broken. The entire Israelite community must observe these rules. If a foreigner lives with you and is willing to observe the Passover, he must circumcise all male members of his family; then he may celebrate it in the same manner as native Israelites. But if any man remains uncircumcised, he must not partake of the Passover meal. These same rules will apply to the native as well as to the foreigner who lives among you. The children of Israel abided by what Jehovah had told Moses and Aaron.
And so on this very day Jehovah ushered the people of Israel out of Egypt like an army.
And Jehovah told Moses, "Reserve for me all the firstborn, the offspring that emerges first from the womb of Israel, both of man and beast. It shall be mine!"
Moses proclaimed to his people, "Remember this day when you left Egypt where you were slaves, for it was by the power of Jehovah that you were brought out of bondage. (Therefore, keep in mind you shall eat no leavened bread.) You were freed in the month of Abib. So when Jehovah guides you into the land of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which he promised to your forefathers -- a land abounding in milk and honey, you must celebrate this event during this month in the years to come. For seven days you will eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day there will be a feast to Jehovah. Unleavened bread will be eaten for seven days; there will be no leavened bread in your possession, nor shall there be any leaven at all in your homes.
"On the day of the Passover feast, you will explain to your children. ‘We observe this custom because of what Jehovah did for us when we left Egypt. It is intended to remind you like a stamp on your hands or a mark on your forehead that the commands of Jehovah should always be on your mind. For it is by the power of Jehovah that you were brought out of Egypt. You will, therefore, observe this tradition at this time of the year for all the years to come.'
“When it comes to pass that Jehovah will lead you into the land of the Canaanites, which he promised to your forefathers, and settle you there, you will set aside all the firstborn animals, those who emerge first from the womb. The males will belong to Jehovah. The firstborn foil of a donkey may, however, be spared if a lamb or kid be offered in its place. Otherwise, you must kill it by breaking its neck. All of your firstborn sons may similarly have their places taken by sacrificial animals.
"And when the time comes that your son will question you, 'What is all this for?,' you will say to him, 'Jehovah brought us out of Egypt and freed us from slavery with his power. When the Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Jehovah killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both men and animals. That is why we sacrifice to Jehovah all the firstborn males, the offspring first out of the womb, although the firstborn of our children we redeem with a substitute sacrifice.’ It will be a reminder like a stamp on your hand or a mark on your forehead that it is through the power of Jehovah that we were brought out of Egypt."
Notes
1. Several times it is mentioned that the departing Israelites "asked" their Egyptian neighbors to "borrow" their gold and silver -- according to most translations. It's rather absurd. First of all, the Israelites lived segregated from the Egyptians in Goshen; therefore, they would have no Egyptian neighbors. Secondly, it is preposterous that the Egyptians would willing lend their precious items of gold and silver or clothes to absconding slaves who had brought catastrophe after catastrophe upon their country. (Would a modern employer, when the Latina maid wants to go back to Mexico, "lend" her the family silver and the wife’s wardrobe after the maid had used magic to burn down the house and murder the baby?) It is obvious that the Israelites, perhaps not too unjustly vengeful, plundered the country and looted its citizens with the sanction of their god Jehovah, who has yet to say anything against stealing. This seems particularly cruel to the Egyptians who had suffered so much and who had died in vast numbers owing to the Israelites and to their Pharaoh's stubbornness. Jehovah expresses no sympathy for the Egyptians: he is obviously not the god of "do unto others," "forgive your neighbor his trespasses," and "love your enemy." Quite the contrary!
2. The cities of Ramses and Succoth are in northeastern Egypt, the delta region, but the reference to them is probably anachronistic. It is a foolish mistake, made by most who try to date the Exodus, that the place names accurately reflect names and locations that were current at the time of the story, rather than the time of the storyteller. The Exodus, though not exactly as described in the Bible, could only have occurred during an intermediate period in Egyptian history, most likely the period between the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. The plagues may date to this period. The emigration of the Israelites may have been part of the expulsion of the Hyksos at the beginning of the New Kingdom. (The biblical narratives furnish a large number of jigsaw puzzle pieces, but they really can't be put together in any way that creates the picture on the box.)
3. The wanderings, or sojourns of the Israelites, who had no country of their own but were forced to settle in foreign lands for various periods of time, are recorded as lasting 430 years. It is unlikely that this means the duration of time the Israelites stayed in Egypt, but rather the time from their departure from Ur in Mesopotamia. Some versions of Exodus (eg. the Samaritan Pentateuch) actually include Canaan in this sentence, as I have. Calculated from Abraham’s emigration from Mesopotamia, the number of years is 215. Even this less lengthy stay in Egypt is contradicted by the stated number of generations. Moses is only a great grandson of Levi. If Moses were really 80 years old, or 81, at the time, then that still makes less than 150 years as an upper limit for the time of their residence in Egypt, allowing a generous gap between generations. But if Moses at the time of the Exodus were, say, 40 years old, which is more likely, the time spent by the Israelites in Egypt could easily amount to less than 90 years. The protracted number of years is credible only if one permits the impossible longevity of all the biblical patriarchs. It is certainly possible that a remarkable man of ancient times might live to be 90 or even 100 and that he might have children at an advanced age, but that all his descendants would do so is too improbable to be accepted.
4. The number of generations also makes preposterous the level of the Israelite population said to have participated in the Exodus -- 600,000 men, probably 2 million persons overall. (Ancient sources always seem to exaggerate numbers, whether it is the number of soldiers in a battle or the number of years a past event occurred.) Such a number could form a queue stretching from Egypt to Canaan! Considering they all got ready to go in a single night, actually just the wee hours of the morning, credibility is pushed to the breaking point. Such a vast movement of population en masse would simply not be possible for reasons that will be obvious. It seems more likely that if the Exodus ever took place, it probably consisted of a few thousands persons, the number that would normally be produced in the number of generations cited.
5. Jehovah's obsession with unleavened bread and his harping on the Passover feast is past annoying. Amid the epic calamities in Egypt and the forthcoming liberation of his people, this, incredibly, seems of paramount importance to him. --- So far, he has created two rules for his people, neither of them having anything to do with moral conduct. The first is that males must be circumcised and, secondly, all must eat unleavened bread on the Passover. (Violate the first and you will be put to death, violate the second and you will be kicked out of the tribe.) Then, he creates a third, every firstborn male belongs to him. You wonder if he has the time, the appetite, and the capacity to consume all the animals to be sacrificed to him or to enjoy the smoky smell of their roasting flesh. And you wonder how a poor tribe could afford this vast sacrificial waste of livestock.
6. Abib is the first month of the ancient Jewish lunar calendar, occurring in March or April.
7. It might be mentioned at this point, concerning the origin of the Hebrew people, that while most modern historians believe the Exodus never occurred and that the Hebrews never lived in Egypt, but came from Canaan, most ancient historians ascribed the emergence of the Hebrews as a distinct people to their expulsion from Egypt. The Roman historian Tacitus (circa 110 A.D.), who seems to have done some research on the subject, offers several fanciful theories as to their origin, but ends up agreeing with the first-century B.C. Greek historians Chaeremon and Lysimachus of Alexandria and Diodorus of Sicily that the Israelites were expelled from Egypt because they were diseased. Moses emerged as their leader and saved them from perishing in the desert. A less glamorous view of history than the one presented by Exodus! (I might mention that more than a century ago a fraudulent genealogist foisted upon my mother’s family, the Blaisdells, a phony history concerning its origins. The bogus account claimed that their immigrant forefather was a Sir Ralph Blaisdell of Welsh descent, with royal connections, a coat of arms, and a ship of his own. The family bought it until the truth was eventually revealed. Ralph was just plain Ralph, bless him, a Lancashire tailor and tavern keeper who illegally left England and landed on a the coast of Maine in a ship that was then immediately wrecked by a storm. --- I like the real story better!)
8. Among those who credit the Exodus, various dates have been suggested for it from the 16th to the 13th Centuries B.C., or even later. A very long book could be written examining (and debunking) every claim. The very fact that the Exodus cannot be dated is a tip-off to its fictional or, at best, semi-mythical provenance. Confirming this is the fact that the Pharaoh of the Exodus is never named and bears no resemblance to any historical figure (least of all to Ramses the Great, generally believed to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus, courtesy of Cecil B. De Mille.) Archaeological evidence is entirely missing, as is any confirmation from Egyptian historical sources.
The Israelites packed their bread dough before it could be leavened, bundled the bread pans in their cloaks, and carried them on their shoulders. They did had Moses had bid: they procured from the Egyptians vessels and jewelry of gold and silver and apparel. Jehovah had induced the Egyptians to view them favorably and so they complied with the Israelites and gave them whatever they demanded. (Indeed, the departing Israelites despoiled the Egyptians of their wealth and possessions.)
The Israelites thus journeyed from the city of Ramses to Succoth. They numbered about 600,000 men on foot, not counting children and the motley crew of people who accompanied them or the herds and flocks and the large amount of livestock. The Israelites baked the unleavened dough they had taken with them when they left Egypt and made flat bread. (They did not have time to leaven the bread since they undertook their journey in haste: they dared not delay and had no time to prepare a proper meal.)
The nomadic wanderings of the people of Israel who dwelt in Canaan and in Egypt comprised 430 years. At the end of that time, to the day, the people of Jehovah marched out of the land of Egypt arrayed in military formation. This then was a night to remember, when Jehovah led them out of Egypt -- a night to be commemorated by future generations.
Jehovah told Moses and Aaron, "This is the ceremonial feast of Passover. No stranger may take part in it and eat, but the purchased slave, if he has been circumcised, may join in it, but not the foreigner or the hired hand. The feast shall be consumed within the house and nothing taken outside to eat nor should any bone be broken. The entire Israelite community must observe these rules. If a foreigner lives with you and is willing to observe the Passover, he must circumcise all male members of his family; then he may celebrate it in the same manner as native Israelites. But if any man remains uncircumcised, he must not partake of the Passover meal. These same rules will apply to the native as well as to the foreigner who lives among you. The children of Israel abided by what Jehovah had told Moses and Aaron.
And so on this very day Jehovah ushered the people of Israel out of Egypt like an army.
And Jehovah told Moses, "Reserve for me all the firstborn, the offspring that emerges first from the womb of Israel, both of man and beast. It shall be mine!"
Moses proclaimed to his people, "Remember this day when you left Egypt where you were slaves, for it was by the power of Jehovah that you were brought out of bondage. (Therefore, keep in mind you shall eat no leavened bread.) You were freed in the month of Abib. So when Jehovah guides you into the land of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which he promised to your forefathers -- a land abounding in milk and honey, you must celebrate this event during this month in the years to come. For seven days you will eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day there will be a feast to Jehovah. Unleavened bread will be eaten for seven days; there will be no leavened bread in your possession, nor shall there be any leaven at all in your homes.
"On the day of the Passover feast, you will explain to your children. ‘We observe this custom because of what Jehovah did for us when we left Egypt. It is intended to remind you like a stamp on your hands or a mark on your forehead that the commands of Jehovah should always be on your mind. For it is by the power of Jehovah that you were brought out of Egypt. You will, therefore, observe this tradition at this time of the year for all the years to come.'
“When it comes to pass that Jehovah will lead you into the land of the Canaanites, which he promised to your forefathers, and settle you there, you will set aside all the firstborn animals, those who emerge first from the womb. The males will belong to Jehovah. The firstborn foil of a donkey may, however, be spared if a lamb or kid be offered in its place. Otherwise, you must kill it by breaking its neck. All of your firstborn sons may similarly have their places taken by sacrificial animals.
"And when the time comes that your son will question you, 'What is all this for?,' you will say to him, 'Jehovah brought us out of Egypt and freed us from slavery with his power. When the Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Jehovah killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both men and animals. That is why we sacrifice to Jehovah all the firstborn males, the offspring first out of the womb, although the firstborn of our children we redeem with a substitute sacrifice.’ It will be a reminder like a stamp on your hand or a mark on your forehead that it is through the power of Jehovah that we were brought out of Egypt."
Notes
1. Several times it is mentioned that the departing Israelites "asked" their Egyptian neighbors to "borrow" their gold and silver -- according to most translations. It's rather absurd. First of all, the Israelites lived segregated from the Egyptians in Goshen; therefore, they would have no Egyptian neighbors. Secondly, it is preposterous that the Egyptians would willing lend their precious items of gold and silver or clothes to absconding slaves who had brought catastrophe after catastrophe upon their country. (Would a modern employer, when the Latina maid wants to go back to Mexico, "lend" her the family silver and the wife’s wardrobe after the maid had used magic to burn down the house and murder the baby?) It is obvious that the Israelites, perhaps not too unjustly vengeful, plundered the country and looted its citizens with the sanction of their god Jehovah, who has yet to say anything against stealing. This seems particularly cruel to the Egyptians who had suffered so much and who had died in vast numbers owing to the Israelites and to their Pharaoh's stubbornness. Jehovah expresses no sympathy for the Egyptians: he is obviously not the god of "do unto others," "forgive your neighbor his trespasses," and "love your enemy." Quite the contrary!
2. The cities of Ramses and Succoth are in northeastern Egypt, the delta region, but the reference to them is probably anachronistic. It is a foolish mistake, made by most who try to date the Exodus, that the place names accurately reflect names and locations that were current at the time of the story, rather than the time of the storyteller. The Exodus, though not exactly as described in the Bible, could only have occurred during an intermediate period in Egyptian history, most likely the period between the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. The plagues may date to this period. The emigration of the Israelites may have been part of the expulsion of the Hyksos at the beginning of the New Kingdom. (The biblical narratives furnish a large number of jigsaw puzzle pieces, but they really can't be put together in any way that creates the picture on the box.)
3. The wanderings, or sojourns of the Israelites, who had no country of their own but were forced to settle in foreign lands for various periods of time, are recorded as lasting 430 years. It is unlikely that this means the duration of time the Israelites stayed in Egypt, but rather the time from their departure from Ur in Mesopotamia. Some versions of Exodus (eg. the Samaritan Pentateuch) actually include Canaan in this sentence, as I have. Calculated from Abraham’s emigration from Mesopotamia, the number of years is 215. Even this less lengthy stay in Egypt is contradicted by the stated number of generations. Moses is only a great grandson of Levi. If Moses were really 80 years old, or 81, at the time, then that still makes less than 150 years as an upper limit for the time of their residence in Egypt, allowing a generous gap between generations. But if Moses at the time of the Exodus were, say, 40 years old, which is more likely, the time spent by the Israelites in Egypt could easily amount to less than 90 years. The protracted number of years is credible only if one permits the impossible longevity of all the biblical patriarchs. It is certainly possible that a remarkable man of ancient times might live to be 90 or even 100 and that he might have children at an advanced age, but that all his descendants would do so is too improbable to be accepted.
4. The number of generations also makes preposterous the level of the Israelite population said to have participated in the Exodus -- 600,000 men, probably 2 million persons overall. (Ancient sources always seem to exaggerate numbers, whether it is the number of soldiers in a battle or the number of years a past event occurred.) Such a number could form a queue stretching from Egypt to Canaan! Considering they all got ready to go in a single night, actually just the wee hours of the morning, credibility is pushed to the breaking point. Such a vast movement of population en masse would simply not be possible for reasons that will be obvious. It seems more likely that if the Exodus ever took place, it probably consisted of a few thousands persons, the number that would normally be produced in the number of generations cited.
5. Jehovah's obsession with unleavened bread and his harping on the Passover feast is past annoying. Amid the epic calamities in Egypt and the forthcoming liberation of his people, this, incredibly, seems of paramount importance to him. --- So far, he has created two rules for his people, neither of them having anything to do with moral conduct. The first is that males must be circumcised and, secondly, all must eat unleavened bread on the Passover. (Violate the first and you will be put to death, violate the second and you will be kicked out of the tribe.) Then, he creates a third, every firstborn male belongs to him. You wonder if he has the time, the appetite, and the capacity to consume all the animals to be sacrificed to him or to enjoy the smoky smell of their roasting flesh. And you wonder how a poor tribe could afford this vast sacrificial waste of livestock.
6. Abib is the first month of the ancient Jewish lunar calendar, occurring in March or April.
7. It might be mentioned at this point, concerning the origin of the Hebrew people, that while most modern historians believe the Exodus never occurred and that the Hebrews never lived in Egypt, but came from Canaan, most ancient historians ascribed the emergence of the Hebrews as a distinct people to their expulsion from Egypt. The Roman historian Tacitus (circa 110 A.D.), who seems to have done some research on the subject, offers several fanciful theories as to their origin, but ends up agreeing with the first-century B.C. Greek historians Chaeremon and Lysimachus of Alexandria and Diodorus of Sicily that the Israelites were expelled from Egypt because they were diseased. Moses emerged as their leader and saved them from perishing in the desert. A less glamorous view of history than the one presented by Exodus! (I might mention that more than a century ago a fraudulent genealogist foisted upon my mother’s family, the Blaisdells, a phony history concerning its origins. The bogus account claimed that their immigrant forefather was a Sir Ralph Blaisdell of Welsh descent, with royal connections, a coat of arms, and a ship of his own. The family bought it until the truth was eventually revealed. Ralph was just plain Ralph, bless him, a Lancashire tailor and tavern keeper who illegally left England and landed on a the coast of Maine in a ship that was then immediately wrecked by a storm. --- I like the real story better!)
8. Among those who credit the Exodus, various dates have been suggested for it from the 16th to the 13th Centuries B.C., or even later. A very long book could be written examining (and debunking) every claim. The very fact that the Exodus cannot be dated is a tip-off to its fictional or, at best, semi-mythical provenance. Confirming this is the fact that the Pharaoh of the Exodus is never named and bears no resemblance to any historical figure (least of all to Ramses the Great, generally believed to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus, courtesy of Cecil B. De Mille.) Archaeological evidence is entirely missing, as is any confirmation from Egyptian historical sources.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Bondage of the Israelites
(Exodus 1:01 - 1:22)
These are the names of the children of Israel who accompanied him, with their households, when he emigrated to Egypt: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob amounted to 70 persons, not including Joseph who was already resident in Egypt.
Joseph passed away, as did his brothers and all of his generation. The offspring of Israel were prolific, though, and their numbers increased dramatically; they grew in power and influence and the land teemed with their population.
But there came to power in Egypt a dynasty of Pharaohs who had no acquaintance with Joseph's people. The new Pharaoh warned his countrymen, “Look, the Israelites are becoming as numerous and as powerful as we are. In the event that they continue to multiply, it may happen that in time of war, they will side with our enemies and thus defeat us and take over the country. Therefore, it would be wise on our part to deal severely with them."
Therefore, the Pharaoh charged task masters to compel the Israelites to work as slaves for the Pharaoh, building the fortified cities of Pithom and Rameses. However, the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more their numbers increased and the more the Egyptians detested and persecuted them. The Egyptians demanded hard labor from the Israelites and made their lives miserable with hardships. Toiling as agricultural laborers and construction workers, the Israelites were always driven ruthlessly and rigorously.
The Pharaoh spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shiphrah, and the other Puah, "When you are called in to minister to Hebrew women and a baby is about to be delivered, put the baby to death if it be a boy, if a girl, keep it alive."
The midwives, though, had a greater fear of God and so they defied the Pharaoh, allowing the male babies to live. The Pharaoh summoned them again and demanded, "Why is it that you are sparing the male babies?"
They replied, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women: they're very hardy. They give birth to their babies before we can arrive to tend them."
God was pleased with what the midwives had done, allowing the Hebrew people to continue to propagate and multiply. Because they had served him well, God rewarded the midwives by giving them families of their own.
The Pharaoh then ordered all the Hebrew people, "Every son born to you must be cast into the river; the life of every daughter may be spared."
Notes
1. It seems likely that the new Pharaoh, who was not acquainted with Joseph's people, was probably that of a new dynasty since a son or other family member of Joseph's Pharaoh would have known him and his people well. Several scenarios have been proposed to fit the Biblical narrative into Egyptian history, none very satisfactory. If the Pharaoh of Joseph's time had been a Hyksos, then the new Pharaoh would be of the native New Kingdom dynasty, to wit, Ahmose who reigned from 1550-1525 B.C. according to accepted Egyptian chronology (which is very likely to be wrong!) The existence of a large population of Semitic settlers inhabiting the Nile Delta after the expulsion of the Semitic Hyksos, however, is simply not credible historically, militating against this hypothesis. Or, the new Pharaoh was a Hyksos and the old Pharaoh belonged to the Middle Kingdom. A Hyksos Pharaoh might be worried that the Hebrews were more numerous than his own people, however, it seems unlikely that the Semitic Hyksos would be so inhospitable to fellow Semites, allies, one would think, against the native Egyptians. On the other hand, if the new Pharaoh were of the New Kingdom, there would be little reason to fear that the Hebrews would overwhelm them with their numbers. (Egypt was a relatively populous country in ancient times.) --- The inability to fit this story convincingly into well-established Egyptian history is best explained by accepting the likelihood that parts of the story, if not most or all of it, are fictional. Exalting the figure of Joseph into a national hero served propaganda purposes. Creating an earlier period of Hebrew bondage was in the interest of those who were writing during the Babylonian Captivity when the Old Testament was compiled. (The message of hope to their people would have been, "Although we are in bondage, exiled from our native land, do not despair. This happened once before in our past. We were in bondage in Egypt hundreds of years ago. We suffered and were persecuted there as we are here now. But, we were delivered and returned to our native land, as Jehovah had promised us." Much of the Old Testament promulgates that agenda.)
2. The ordered killing of all male Hebrew children, this time by the Pharaoh, is a recurring Old and even New Testament theme. Although one could imagine an Assyrian or a Chaldean monarch ordering something of that sort, it hardly rings true in regard to the rulers of Pharaonic Egypt, which had relatively enlightened views on human relations.
3. The emphasis on the Israelites being very prolific and their population increasing to a very great extent is important to the credibility of the story, which requires a considerable number of Jacob's tribe be living in Egypt to make them seem a threat to the Egyptians and to provide a justification for their bondage. While a single man may in five generations time have a couple hundred thousand descendants, if each and every one produces a dozen children, in reality this never happens. There is in the text thus far no indication of the amount of time passing from Joseph' death to the beginning of the Israelite's bondage, but the impression given is that it could not possibly be sufficient to yield a large enough population for the story that unfolds.
4. It makes little sense for the Egyptians to exterminate the Israelites once they had made them slaves. One would think they would want more and more of them as workers. Ancient Athens had far more slaves than citizens and Rome supported a huge slave population that only occasionally became restive (eg. Spartacus). More recently, the Antebellum South tried to increase its slave population as much as it could, with slave owners often aiding the propagation personally.
5. Pithom and Rameses, cities of the eastern Nile Delta, date to the later New Kingdom (13th Century B.C.), which is why popular opinion connects the events of Exodus to the New Kingdom and, particularly, to its most famous Pharaoh, Ramses the Great. However, it is likely the references are merely anachronistic. Details, such as the name of a town, enhance the credibility of a legendary story and are often added for that very purpose without any regard for literal accuracy. If the chronicler really knew when the events of the Exodus took place in the context of Egyptian history, it is likely he would have specifically named the Pharaoh. (It is interesting the chronicler recounts the names of midwives who lived a thousand years in his past, yet is unable to furnish even a clue as to the identity of the reigning Pharaoh of Egypt.)
These are the names of the children of Israel who accompanied him, with their households, when he emigrated to Egypt: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob amounted to 70 persons, not including Joseph who was already resident in Egypt.
Joseph passed away, as did his brothers and all of his generation. The offspring of Israel were prolific, though, and their numbers increased dramatically; they grew in power and influence and the land teemed with their population.
But there came to power in Egypt a dynasty of Pharaohs who had no acquaintance with Joseph's people. The new Pharaoh warned his countrymen, “Look, the Israelites are becoming as numerous and as powerful as we are. In the event that they continue to multiply, it may happen that in time of war, they will side with our enemies and thus defeat us and take over the country. Therefore, it would be wise on our part to deal severely with them."
Therefore, the Pharaoh charged task masters to compel the Israelites to work as slaves for the Pharaoh, building the fortified cities of Pithom and Rameses. However, the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more their numbers increased and the more the Egyptians detested and persecuted them. The Egyptians demanded hard labor from the Israelites and made their lives miserable with hardships. Toiling as agricultural laborers and construction workers, the Israelites were always driven ruthlessly and rigorously.
The Pharaoh spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shiphrah, and the other Puah, "When you are called in to minister to Hebrew women and a baby is about to be delivered, put the baby to death if it be a boy, if a girl, keep it alive."
The midwives, though, had a greater fear of God and so they defied the Pharaoh, allowing the male babies to live. The Pharaoh summoned them again and demanded, "Why is it that you are sparing the male babies?"
They replied, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women: they're very hardy. They give birth to their babies before we can arrive to tend them."
God was pleased with what the midwives had done, allowing the Hebrew people to continue to propagate and multiply. Because they had served him well, God rewarded the midwives by giving them families of their own.
The Pharaoh then ordered all the Hebrew people, "Every son born to you must be cast into the river; the life of every daughter may be spared."
Notes
1. It seems likely that the new Pharaoh, who was not acquainted with Joseph's people, was probably that of a new dynasty since a son or other family member of Joseph's Pharaoh would have known him and his people well. Several scenarios have been proposed to fit the Biblical narrative into Egyptian history, none very satisfactory. If the Pharaoh of Joseph's time had been a Hyksos, then the new Pharaoh would be of the native New Kingdom dynasty, to wit, Ahmose who reigned from 1550-1525 B.C. according to accepted Egyptian chronology (which is very likely to be wrong!) The existence of a large population of Semitic settlers inhabiting the Nile Delta after the expulsion of the Semitic Hyksos, however, is simply not credible historically, militating against this hypothesis. Or, the new Pharaoh was a Hyksos and the old Pharaoh belonged to the Middle Kingdom. A Hyksos Pharaoh might be worried that the Hebrews were more numerous than his own people, however, it seems unlikely that the Semitic Hyksos would be so inhospitable to fellow Semites, allies, one would think, against the native Egyptians. On the other hand, if the new Pharaoh were of the New Kingdom, there would be little reason to fear that the Hebrews would overwhelm them with their numbers. (Egypt was a relatively populous country in ancient times.) --- The inability to fit this story convincingly into well-established Egyptian history is best explained by accepting the likelihood that parts of the story, if not most or all of it, are fictional. Exalting the figure of Joseph into a national hero served propaganda purposes. Creating an earlier period of Hebrew bondage was in the interest of those who were writing during the Babylonian Captivity when the Old Testament was compiled. (The message of hope to their people would have been, "Although we are in bondage, exiled from our native land, do not despair. This happened once before in our past. We were in bondage in Egypt hundreds of years ago. We suffered and were persecuted there as we are here now. But, we were delivered and returned to our native land, as Jehovah had promised us." Much of the Old Testament promulgates that agenda.)
2. The ordered killing of all male Hebrew children, this time by the Pharaoh, is a recurring Old and even New Testament theme. Although one could imagine an Assyrian or a Chaldean monarch ordering something of that sort, it hardly rings true in regard to the rulers of Pharaonic Egypt, which had relatively enlightened views on human relations.
3. The emphasis on the Israelites being very prolific and their population increasing to a very great extent is important to the credibility of the story, which requires a considerable number of Jacob's tribe be living in Egypt to make them seem a threat to the Egyptians and to provide a justification for their bondage. While a single man may in five generations time have a couple hundred thousand descendants, if each and every one produces a dozen children, in reality this never happens. There is in the text thus far no indication of the amount of time passing from Joseph' death to the beginning of the Israelite's bondage, but the impression given is that it could not possibly be sufficient to yield a large enough population for the story that unfolds.
4. It makes little sense for the Egyptians to exterminate the Israelites once they had made them slaves. One would think they would want more and more of them as workers. Ancient Athens had far more slaves than citizens and Rome supported a huge slave population that only occasionally became restive (eg. Spartacus). More recently, the Antebellum South tried to increase its slave population as much as it could, with slave owners often aiding the propagation personally.
5. Pithom and Rameses, cities of the eastern Nile Delta, date to the later New Kingdom (13th Century B.C.), which is why popular opinion connects the events of Exodus to the New Kingdom and, particularly, to its most famous Pharaoh, Ramses the Great. However, it is likely the references are merely anachronistic. Details, such as the name of a town, enhance the credibility of a legendary story and are often added for that very purpose without any regard for literal accuracy. If the chronicler really knew when the events of the Exodus took place in the context of Egyptian history, it is likely he would have specifically named the Pharaoh. (It is interesting the chronicler recounts the names of midwives who lived a thousand years in his past, yet is unable to furnish even a clue as to the identity of the reigning Pharaoh of Egypt.)
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