The Exodus Research Paper

The much-reveled story of the Exodus is a significant story in monotheistic tradition. The story of the Exodus appears in the religious texts of Christians, Muslims, and Jews, and certain aspects of the story shape how the followers of these faiths lead their lives. The story of the Exodus is popular in religious communities, mainstream media-- with numerous films and books covering the story, and it has even found its way to being the name of males in the United States since 1999. The Book of Exodus and the Quran share many similarities on the story, specifically the identity of Moses, his miracles, God’s plague upon Egypt, the splitting of the Red Sea, and the Ten Commandments. Though there is a clear resemblance between the two texts on

Exodus derives from the Septuagint title Exodos, which is define as “road out” (Finlay, Herst). A road out of what, one may ask? The story of the Exodus appears in the Old Testament, and makes up the second book of the Pentateuch. The narration of the Exodus begins with the Jews arriving in Egypt with Jacob. After 17 years in Egypt, Jacob had passed away and things quickly began to change for his followers. Exodus 1:8 states, “Now there arose a new king over Egypt,” (Bible Gateway). This new king of Egypt, referred to as Pharaoh, had no sympathy for the children of Israel, who had multiplied in the land of Egypt since their arrival. Pharaoh saw the children of Israel—who held important positions in aspects of Egyptian political and economic life—a threat and looked to take action against them. After consulting with his advisers, Pharaoh decided to enslave the children of Israel. Pharaoh placed heavy restrictions on Jews, taxed them heavily, and forced men to serve in labor battalions. These labor battalions built the famous cities of Pithom and Ramesses (Exodus 1:11). Among these restrictions, Pharaoh ordered each newborn boy to be thrown into the Nile River, in order to avoid a surge in the Hebrew population. One mother defied this decree by caring for her newborn son for three months before placing him a basket near the Nile River’s edge. The Pharaoh’s daughter discovered this child and placed him in the care of a nurse, who was the child’s original mother. This child was