The New Identity of Exodus as a Myth
The story of the tooth fairy has become a part of the cultural tradition of generations. Many American children discover the legend of the tooth fairy at an early age. Furthermore, this mythical tale explains the meaning behind children losing their baby teeth. It marks a rite of passage between infancy and early childhood. In the strictest sense of the definition of a myth, however, the tooth fairy does not qualify as a mythical story. It does not have all of the essential traits. So what precisely is a myth? The Greek word for myth is “mythos”, meaning “story.” According to Dr. Dennis Doyle, “A myth is a story that expresses the root meanings and values of a culture.” Although it may seem unambiguous, this formal definition of a myth is commonly misunderstood in today’s society.
Along with the tale of the tooth fairy, the biblical story of Exodus 1-12 is often misconstrued. The tooth fairy is often assumed to be a myth when it is actually not more than a fictional story. On the other hand, Exodus 1-12 is frequently considered to be merely a religious and historical account when it is actually an authentic myth. So why is Exodus a myth when the tooth fairy is not? Unlike the tooth fairy story, the biblical Exodus story provides a complex tale concerning the creation of a new identity of people. The true definition of a myth contains the essential elements of a myth, including religious, social, psychological, and historical features (Doyle, 29 Aug. 2002).
The word “exodus” means “journey out” in Greek (Noble 51). As can be implied by the definitions of the terms exodus and myth, the Exodus story narrates the Israelites’ departure from Egypt to Sinai. This event is an ...
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...h to the Passover ritual celebrated by the Israelites who fled from Egypt, the Exodus story contains all of the principle elements involved in an authentic myth. Exodus 1-12 is more complex than what the average reader may detect. On the other hand, the tooth fairy is a shallow tale with most of its meaning located on the surface. Unlike the story of the tooth fairy, the Exodus story is plausible and has a deep meaning from which some essential questions of life can be understood.
Works Cited
Doyle, Dennis. “Making Sense of Origins.” ASI 111. Sears Recital Hall, University of Dayton. 29 August 2002.
Noble, Strauss, Osheim, Neuschel, Cohen, Roberts, eds. Western Civilization: The Continuing Experiment. Third ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2002.
Saint Joseph Edition of The New American Bible. New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1970.
The film the Ten Commandments (1956) depicts is the cinematic interpretation of the book of Exodus. This essay in particular will focus on the difference between the movie and the book of Exodus. In particular it will focus on the issue of race between the Egyptians and the Hebrews. The movie shows the Egyptians living a lavish life while the Hebrew slaves were mistreated. This movie shows the sharp contrast the life the Egyptians lived compared to the life of Hebrews and how the Hebrews were mistreated. This essay will argue that the accounts of race in Exodus are over exaggerated compared to the Ten Commandments. This can be seen through the movie having an emphasis of violence towards the Hebrews, the disregard of protection laws for the Hebrews, and the overemphasis of the betrayal the Egyptians felt when Moses was discovered to be a Hebrew.
The “popular use of the word myth to denote something that is thought by many people to be “true,” but actually is not true can be examined through history. Today’s current understanding of myth is: “A traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or heroor event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a naturalexplanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigodsand explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature,istories or matter of this kind,iany invented story, idea, or concept,ian imaginary or fictitious thing or person,ian unproved or false collective belief that is
A myth is a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events. Each civilization has its myths about the creation of the world and its human race. Most speak of “gods” who perform feats far beyond that of humankind. Most are legends passed down through oral tradition, and embellished along the way. The book of Genesis is one of the most significant books in the Bible and is sacred scripture for Jews, Samaritans, and Christians. The Babylonian epic, Enuma Elish, is one of the most important sources for understanding the Babylonian worldview. Hesiod’s Theogony is a poem describing the origins and genealogies of
The book of Exodus is a detailed account of the story of the freedom of the Israelite people from their time of slavery in Egypt. At times the verses may be confusing and it might be hard to grasp points. We will discuss below how The Prince of Egypt was able to portray the main storyline, and look at some points in the movie where there where some incorrect themes or details were shown.
Perry, Marvin, et al. Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics and Society. 4th ed. Vol. I. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992.
3. Jackson J. Spielvogel. Western Civilization Third Edition, A Brief History volume 1: to 1715. 2005 Belmont CA. Wadsworth Publishing
Coffin, Judith G., and Robert C. Stacey. "CHAPTER 18 PAGES 668-669." Western Civilizations: Their History & Their Culture. 16TH ed. Vol. 2. New York, NY: W. W. Norton &, 2008. N. pag. Print.
Coffin, Judith G, et al. Western Civilizations: Their History & Their Culture. 17th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Co, 2011. Print.
Even though, considered as an African-American, I begin to read the book of Exodus from an African’s perspective. I mention this because even though somewhat Americanized, I still consider myself purely African at heart and soul. A business and minors in both French and Psychology at a predominantly white college also play a role in my understanding of the book of Exodus. Living in a white suburban neighborhood plays a major role on how I perceive a potentially liberating biblical text. Making the life changing move from Togo to the United States has also shapes my understanding of Exodus as whole.
Myths relate to events, conditions, and deeds of gods or superhuman beings that are outside ordinary human life and yet basics to it” ("Myth," 2012). Mythology is said to have two particular meanings, “the corpus of myths, and the study of the myths, of a particular area: Amerindian mythology, Egyptian mythology, and so on as well as the study of myth itself” ("Mythology," 1993). In contrast, while the term myth can be used in a variety of academic settings, its main purpose is to analyze different cultures and their ways of thinking. Within the academic setting, a myth is known as a fact and over time has been changed through the many different views within a society as an effort to answer the questions of human existence. The word myth in an academic context is used as “ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions: How did the universe and the world come to be? How did we come to be here? Who are we? What are our proper, necessary, or inescapable roles as we relate to one another and to the world at large? What should our values be? How should we behave? How should we not behave? What are the consequences of behaving and not behaving in such ways” (Leonard, 2004 p.1)? My definition of a myth is a collection of false ideas put together to create
A myth is a traditional or legendary story. Myths are widely known about and have many effects on society. Even though in reality we do realize these concepts are myths they still pressure us to “keep up with the Joneses”. These myths outstand the test of time because it is in our human nature to compare ourselves to one another. This is the reason why people think the grass is always greener on the other side. These myths can discourage individuals and inflict unnecessary stress.
Myth is often falsely misunderstood as fake; however, when using myth in a religious studies atmosphere, it takes on a new meaning. Myths are stories created by a group of people which believe the stories are true. These stories are understood to be “narratives concerning sacred reality and its relationship to humanity” (Cunningham and Kelsay 59). There are numerous types of myths which people have created; for example, how humans, religious figures, and Earth came to be. Not a great deal is known about Earth’s origination to humanity since people were not around when the universe began. Countless myths focus on creation of someone or something, since humans have an abundance of questions about how life
Sinai for forty days and forty nights. God gave Moses tools and guidelines for the Israel people. However the Hebrew people of Israel were becoming impatient and began disobeying the laws God created. God became enraged and Moses begged the lord to forgive the people. Because of Moses’s cries God gives the people a chance to change their wrongful choices. However they finally remembered where they began, as the slaves in Egypt, ending carrying the tabernacle they had built for god. Exodus is an excited story of God’s guidance that begins in gloom and ends in
Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization. 8th ed. Vol. 1. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.
While the Hebrews and Egyptians creation theories bear resemblances and differences, the study and comparison of both the Egyptian myths and the biblical account allow us to comprehend the religious views of ancient civilizations in a better light. One may come to the conclusion that the Hebrews were influenced by the cultures of Egyptians by creating similarities in their own beliefs, or by drawing a line of defense of what is in their terms true, by separating from the mass ideals of the Egyptians and establishing distinct