Bible: Exodus

Questions for Further Study

• 1. On what basis could it be said that Exodus is the most important book in the Hebrew Bible? In what ways did the book lay the foundations for the Judeo-Christian tradition in the West?
• 2. In what ways might the Israelites’ flight from Egypt have parallels centuries later when Muhammad and his Islamic followers fled the city of Mecca for Medina? (For reference, see the discussions surrounding the Meccan Illuminations and Sahih al-Bukhari.) How do the events, studied side by side, illustrate the theme of a chosen people setting itself apart?
• 3. The book of Exodus is scriptural, but it is also historical. How accurate as a historical narrative do you think Exodus is? How important is it to determine the historical accuracy of a narrative such as that contained in Exodus? Would its underlying truth be called into question if it could be proved that the book contains historical inaccuracies?
• 4. Many of the miracles recounted in Exodus, such as the parting of the Red Sea, are at least vaguely familiar to people who grew up in countries with a Judeo-Christian tradition. Some scholars have attempted to demonstrate a scientific basis for these miracles—for example, that Moses’s parting of the Red Sea was really a natural event that took place in a marshy area that was intermittently dried out, then covered with water. What is your response to this type of effort on the part of scientists and others? Do miracles really occur? Why would the ancient Israelites have interpreted such an event as a miracle from God?
• 5. What is your position on the concept of separation of church and state, given that the Old Testament in general and the book of Exodus in particular have provided numerous symbols, concepts, and names that seem woven into American thought? In some municipalities, for example, the Ten Commandments are displayed; a famous hospital in New York City is called Mount Sinai, as are towns in at least five states; place names throughout the United States have Old Testament origins (Noah, the name of a town in four states; Moses, the name of a town in two states; Mount Zion, the name of a town in some twenty-one states); and so on. Do you think these biblical connections create an impermissible connection between church and state?