Israeli-Palestinian relations have deteriorated again: Arab kamikazes blow themselves up in places where Jews gather. A wave of terrorist attacks swept across Israel. Palestinians shell Israeli homes, and the Israelis respond by destroying Palestinian homes. This confrontation between two fraternal peoples has been going on for more than three thousand years! And there is no end in sight. In order to understand why they kill each other, we need to look at history. To events that go back to biblical times.
Today, as interest in the Bible, which is the holy scripture for Jews and Christians, has increased enormously, many are wondering how much confidence can be placed in it and the events it describes. Some, to which the orthodox belong (most of theologians and preachers), declare that everything written in the Bible is true, and all biblical stories must be believed unconditionally. Others - a minority of theologians and preachers - say that the Bible is not a textbook of natural science or history and not everything in it needs to be understood literally, that there are many allegories and allegories in it. Finally, religious scholars believe that, along with myths and legends, the Bible also reflects some historical events.
The latter supposedly includes the so-called exodus of Jews from Egypt. Here is its brief history according to the chapter from the biblical “Second Book of Moses”, which is called “Exodus”. One day, a small group of Jewish nomads (about 70 people), due to a prolonged drought, approached the border with Egypt and asked the pharaoh to allow their cattle to graze in the Nile Delta in the meadows of the “land of Goshen.” Pharaoh agreed and allowed them to enter his lands. Moreover, the period of stay on these lands was not specified in any way. Like, stay as long as you want. And the Jews stayed on the hospitable land of Egypt for no more or less... 430 years.
By the beginning of the fifth century of their stay in Egypt, the attitude of the next pharaoh towards the Jews had sharply deteriorated and he, fearing that the Jews would stab him in the back in the event of an attack by external enemies, took a number of measures to reduce the danger that arose. The Jews realized that they had to leave Egypt. The campaign was led by their leader Moses, under whose leadership they left the country that had sheltered them, having previously appropriated, on his instructions (simply, by stealing, which very well illustrates the religious morality of the spiritual leaders and the Jewish people themselves of that period) the jewelry of Egyptian women (Exodus, 12: 35-36 ). Moreover, according to experts, the total number of Jews who left the land of Goshen was more than three million (the warriors alone were over 600 thousand - Numbers 1:45). Moses led them to the “promised land” (i.e., promised to them by God), which turned out to be Palestine - a territory already occupied by other peoples, also related to the Jews. Apparently, the Jewish God did not know geography well, which is why he promised his people to allocate far from the best land on the planet - arid and infertile, although for his beloved people he could have tried and given land in a place more favorable for agriculture, for example at the mouth of the Nile.
The significance of this story for the Jewish people, their religion - Judaism and the religion that arose on its basis - Christianity, is extremely great. After all, if you follow this biblical story, then the entire history of the Jewish people is connected with these 70 immigrants from Canaan. But for some reason the Bible does not say where they went and what the fate of the hundreds of thousands of Jews who remained in Canaan was. Apparently, because the history of the main part of the Jewish people was of no interest to the compilers and editors of the Tanakh (this is what the Jews call the part of the Bible that Christians call the Old Testament). Which, of course, is strange, as is the fact that the great Jewish god Yahweh (aka Jehovah, also the Christian God the Father and also the Islamic Allah) for some reason also did not pay attention to this obvious mistake of the writers in relation to the main part of the Jewish people and did not correct them. As a result, carried away by the fate of several dozen ancestors, the authors of the legend lost sight of the overwhelming majority of their people. So those modern Jews who revere the Torah as a holy book and consider it the true ancient history of their people simply do not know its entire history.
Since Jews, and after them Christians, recognize all biblical stories as sacred (and true), the story of the “exodus” was no exception and also became sacred. Moreover, among the Jews, and at the same time among the majority of other Jews and Christians, it began to be considered as a central event in the history of the Jewish people. In honor of him, modern Jews annually celebrate the holiday "Passover", converted by Christians into "Easter" (though celebrated for a completely different reason). All Jewish and Christian textbooks and manuals for adults and children contain a colorful description of the story of the “exodus”. For example, it says that the exodus is a “biblical historical event.” The story of the “exodus” also ends up in secular publications and is also presented there as a true historical event - .
So modern Israel attaches great importance not to the authentic, but to the biblical history of the Jews. Evidence of this is that on the national flag of Israel there is a pentagram - the so-called Mogen Dovid - “Star of David”. The two crossed triangles that form it are considered by the Israelis as a symbol of the uprising that their ancestors allegedly raised in Egypt before leaving this country. Meanwhile, this sign was borrowed by the Jews from the Assyrian king Kurigalsu III (10th century BC), for whom it served as an amulet. The Jewish king David liked it so much that he decided to make it his coat of arms, and the Assyrian pentagram became the “Star of David”, and has now turned into a symbol of Israel.
The whole story that one of the pharaohs allegedly allowed a group of Jewish nomads to stay on their lands, and 19 (!) subsequent pharaohs, out of pure humanity, contributed to the prosperity of the Jews in their country, is a fiction from beginning to end. The pharaohs of Ancient Egypt could not give such permission, since they were constantly at war with Palestine and Syria. At best, they would have turned them into slaves - they did not need a “fifth column”.
Thutmose I (1504 - 1492 BC) conquered Syria and Palestine. His son Thutmose II (1492 - 1479 BC) made a campaign against the Palestinian nomads and defeated them. Thutmose III (1479 - 1425 BC) also made a campaign against Syria and Palestine, who became the sole ruler of Egypt after the death of his co-ruler, Pharaoh Hatshepsut (the first quarter of the 15th century BC). The inhabitants of Palestine were also pacified by Seti I (1290 - 1279 BC) and his son Ramesses II (1279 - 1212 BC), and then by Ramesses III (1185 - 1153 BC) .e.). Pharaoh Merneptah in the last quarter of the 12th century BC. made a campaign against Palestine, as evidenced by the surviving inscription: “Canaan is devastated by all kinds of misfortune... Israel is destroyed and its seed is no more...”. How, one might ask, could Pharaoh allow the Jews to live in Egypt under such conditions? Even if an influential Jewish dignitary (the very existence of which history does not confirm) asked for them.
Realizing the impossibility of linking the history of the arrival and the long stay of the Jews in Egypt to the reign of any of the pharaohs, Jewish and Christian historians were looking for a period in the history of Ancient Egypt that would be most favorable for reinforcing this legend. And they chose the period when Egypt was taken over by the Hyksos nomads, who reigned there in the 17th century BC. . The Hyksos were chosen because they, like the Jews, were Semites (although in fact the tribal composition of the invaders was varied - in addition to the Semites, there were representatives of other peoples). According to church historians, Semitic kinship helps explain the special favor of the Hyksos pharaoh towards Joseph and his relatives, described in the Bible. However, these historians could not do more. The rule of the Hyksos lasted only about a hundred years, and then they were expelled and the Egyptian pharaohs returned to the throne, who, naturally, had to remove from the royal court (and also execute) all those who enjoyed the privileges of the hated conquerors. But despite this, according to the Bible, the Jews continued to prosper and multiply intensively (Exodus 1: 7).
This version about the time of the arrival of Jewish nomads to the borders of Egypt is not the only one. There is another, although less popular, but based on a biblical date, which makes it easy to calculate the time of the settlement of Jews in Egypt. The “Third Book of Kings” (chapter 6: 1) says that in “480 after the departure of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,” in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, “... he began to build the temple of the Lord.” Since the fourth year of Solomon's reign dates back to approximately the 60s of the 10th century BC, the 480th year before that falls in the 15th century. BC. And since, according to the Bible, the Jews lived in Egypt for 430 years, and wandered in the desert for another 40 years, it turns out that they arrived there (1500 + 470) around 1970 BC, i.e. under Pharaoh Mentuhotep IV (1983 - 1976 BC) or Amenemhat I (1976 - 1947 BC).
Here it is important to indicate at what period in the life of Egypt the arrival of the Jews there should have occurred (which the authors of the second version of the legend did not think about). This was a time shortly after the end of the so-called first transition period, during which a popular uprising, a weakening of the kingdom and a series of raids by nomads took place. The rise of the country was taking place, characterized by the decisive actions of the pharaohs to strengthen the state and their actions against hostile neighbors and nomadic robbers. It is clear that during this period there could be no talk of any hospitality on the part of the pharaohs towards the nomads.
According to the customs of that time, at best they could capture them and make them their slaves, at worst they could rob and kill them. At the same time, there is one more circumstance that makes the version of the good settlement of Jews in Egypt implausible. During the reign of these pharaohs, powerful regional rulers, the pharaoh's governors, sat in place. This means that, contrary to the Bible, Jewish nomads could not ask for hospitality directly from the pharaoh, since all matters, especially such trivial ones, were decided by the local ruler. Thus, this version of the settlement of Jewish nomads in Egypt does not stand up to criticism.
Now let's turn to the data of scientific history. Although Jewish nomads visited Egypt more than once, historical data does not confirm the presence of a large compact mass of Jewish people there, especially for 400 years. And the laws supposedly given to the Jews by Moses, which regulated settled life, debt law and the activities of the kings, could not appear at the stage of nomadic life and, in fact, were developed much later. Here the writers of the “exodus” legend encountered one of their many inconsistencies.
If you believe the biblical story about such a long stay of the Jews in Egypt, then naturally there should have been some material traces left there - the remains of buildings, household items, perhaps records on papyrus and, finally, burials. But no matter how hard the archaeologists tried, they did not find anything like that. Not a single papyrus, not a single inscription on the walls of pyramids or other tombs, not a single cuneiform tablet of Assyro-Babylonian origin contains a single word about the presence of Jews in Egypt. In addition, an entire army of Jewish and Christian archaeologists and historians for many centuries tried in vain to determine the location of the biblical Mount Sinai, to which the Jews allegedly came after the exodus.
Many years of searching for Jewish burials of that time did not find burials either in the Valley of Goshen or in any other place in Egypt. As a result, Hebrew University archaeologists conducting a major excavation were forced to admit that there was no archaeological evidence that the Jews were slaves in Egypt, that the Egyptians suffered from the plague, that there was a supernatural crossing of the Red Sea. Anthony Ax from the Bible School in Jerusalem completely agrees with him: “The sudden exodus from Egypt of such a huge number of people skilled in various crafts would inevitably cause a severe economic decline in the country, which is not confirmed by archaeological data.” As if to sum up the entire discussion on this issue, Professor Ze'ev Herzog recently wrote in Haaretz: "It may be unpleasant for some to hear and difficult to accept, but it is absolutely clear to researchers today that the Jewish people were not enslaved in Egypt, did not wander in the wilderness..."
But what really happened? Unfortunately, scientific data on the history of the appearance of Semites and, in particular, Jews in Palestine is fragmentary and often contradictory. Reconstruction of those ancient events shows that Semitic tribes appeared in the territory now called Palestine in the 3rd millennium BC. One of the last to appear in Palestine was the Suti-Amorites, from whom the Jews subsequently emerged. It is known that the Suti-Amorites arrived from Mesopotamia, from where around 1400 BC. they were expelled by the Babylonian king Kadashman-Harbe I. First, the ancient Jews occupied the northeastern part of Palestine, the region of Damascus and Transjordan. From there in the XIII - XII centuries BC. they penetrated into Palestine itself. However, they could not simply settle there, because... this territory was already occupied by those who came there a little earlier - in the 14th century BC. other Semitic tribes - the Arameans and Canaanites. In addition, these same lands were claimed by another settlers - representatives of the so-called "peoples of the sea" - the Felistines (who later gave the name to this entire territory - Palestine - from the word "Peleshtim"), who arrived from the north-west and captured the coastal strip of the Eastern Mediterranean.
In a bloody struggle (more correctly, a war) with the fraternal Semitic peoples and the Felistines, two Jewish tribes - the Israelites and the Jews - managed to gain a foothold in new lands: the former settled in the northern part of Palestine, the latter in the southern part. In fact, they came there as conquerors: having destroyed and plundered the local population, they occupied their lands. They also captured (and did not found) the city that their king David declared his capital - Jerusalem. Moreover, at first they did not even think about any ideological justification for the seizure of foreign lands - there was simply no need for this. But later, when they themselves had to endure an attack, the seizure of their territory by a foreign people, expulsion and relocation to a foreign country, and then return, their leaders had to justify the rights to this land. This is where the story was created with the gift of this land to the Jewish people by God (of course, the God of the Jewish people!).
This conclusion is based primarily on data from the history of the religion of the Jewish people. It is known that the ancient Jewish religion (meaning the pagan religion of the Jews) was formed in the 11th century. BC, and monotheistic ideas (i.e. ideas about a single god) - only in the 7th century. BC. The very transition from the ancient Jewish religion to Judaism occurred in 621 BC. This suggests that the idea of the only god of the Jewish people - Jehovah (Yahweh), who promised them land in Palestine, appeared earlier than the 7th century. BC. It just couldn't. And according to the Old Testament, Jews came to Egypt in the 19th century. BC, i.e. long before Judaism and the belief in one god, Jehovah (Yahweh), appeared. And the idea of the Jews being chosen by God and the granting of land to them by the god Yahweh (and not by other gods, of which the Jews had many) could not have arisen earlier than the 7th century. BC, i.e. from the moment when monotheistic ideas appeared. Thus, the story of the “exodus” and the donation of Palestine to the Jews was not composed earlier than the 7th century. BC..
More specifically, the legend of the exodus and the donation of the land was apparently composed by Jewish priests in the 5th century BC. during the Jews' stay in Babylonian captivity. It is known that it was then that the priests of the Jerusalem Temple set themselves the task of setting out the foundations of the religion of Yahweh. They simply had no other reason to create this myth - neither before nor after. While in a foreign land, they dreamed of returning to Palestine. To encourage their fellow tribesmen not to forget about it and strive to return there, the priests composed a story about the land that their god gave to the Jews - the myth of the “Promised Land.”
At the same time, the priests understood that the act of divine donation itself, although it could be useful in claiming rights to this land, was clearly insufficient. After all, for no reason at all, God could not give them this gift. This required some good reason or some extraordinary event. Therefore, the priests could not announce that their god suddenly took and gave the Jews land in Palestine. In order to make the story of the donation of land more or less plausible, the priests added to it the story of the Jews’ stay in Egypt and their flight from there to the “promised” land.
The myth of donation was created because the Jewish priests knew that their ancestors came to Palestine as conquerors, and that, along with the Jews, its former owners, the Canaanites, laid claim to this land. The presence of such a myth allowed them to claim a religious right to Palestine and their return to Jerusalem. The priests of the Jerusalem Temple also had a personal interest in returning to Jerusalem, since, being faithful servants of their king, in the name of exalting the royal power, they preached that the only place of residence of the god Yahweh was the temple built in the 10th century. BC. Solomon.
The basis for the legend about the stay of the Jews in Egypt was the stories of their fellow tribesmen about visits to Egypt that actually took place. When the whole story was composed, the priests were faced with the question of how to announce it to the Jewish people, how to tell them stories from their past that never happened.
For this purpose, the inclusion of these stories in the holy scripture that was being created at that time - the Pentateuch of Moses (Torah) - was ideal. One can name almost the exact date when this myth was supposed to serve the priests and help them do what, in fact, it was created for. This happened in 538 BC, when the Persian king Cyrus allowed the Jews, who were driven away in 587 BC. into Babylonian captivity by the Assyrian king Nebuchadnezzar, return to Palestine. We have not received information whether Cyrus believed this story; what is known is that he allowed them to return to Palestine. After all, this was beneficial for Cyrus, because he expected to receive support for his interests in that area.
When this story reached the Jewish priests who remained in Palestine, they liked it very much. Therefore, in 458 BC, the priestly leadership of the southern Palestinian tribe - the Jews - adopted the "Law", according to which their god Jehovah (Yahweh) made the Jews his chosen people. That is why the religion of the Jews began to be called Judaism. The stories written by the priests about the long stay of the Jews in Egypt, their flight from there and the gift of land in Palestine, which were presented during services in synagogues, began to spread among the Jewish people.
The last stage of the publication of this plot was the official familiarization of the Jewish people with the so-called “priestly code” - the Pentateuch (Torah), which included the legend of the exodus and the myth of the “Promised Land”. This happened in 444 BC, when the manuscript of this code was delivered to Jerusalem by the priest Ezra and announced there to a large crowd of people. After this, no one could even think that the entire ancient history of the Jews was a myth, a fairy tale composed by the priests. From that moment on, the fictional story of the “exodus” and the “promised land” became an integral part of the Tanakh, and then the Old Testament.
- "Christianity", encyclopedic dictionary. Scientific publishing house "Big Russian Encyclopedia", M., 1993.
- Zenon Kosidovsky "Biblical Tales".
- Cecil Roth "History of the Jews from Antiquity to the Six Day War." "Vek", No. 3, 1989.
- R. Samuels "On the paths of Jewish history", M., 1993.
- “In the world of myths and legends” (compiled by V.N. Sinelchenko, M.B. Petrov), M., 1995.
- CM. Dubnov "A Brief History of the Jews." M., Svarog, 1996.
- "The Key to Understanding Holy Scripture. Life with God", Brussels, 1982.
- I. Epstein "Judaism". New York, 1988.
- "History of the Ancient East", part 2, M., Nauka, 1988, p.408.
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After the conquest of Assyria in 612 BC. e. The Babylonians took possession of the vast territory of their former rival, including Judea with its majestic capital Jerusalem, whose inhabitants did not want to submit to the new authorities. In 605 BC. e. the young heir to the Babylonian throne, Nebuchadnezzar, successfully fights the Egyptian pharaoh and wins - Syria and Palestine become part of the Babylonian state, and Judea actually acquires the status of a state located in the zone of influence of the winner. Four years later, the desire to regain lost freedom arises in the then king of Judah, Jehoiakim (Jehoyakim), at the very moment when he receives the news that Egypt has repelled an attack by the Babylonian army on its border. Having secured the support of the former colonialists, he hopes to thereby free himself from the Babylonians. In 600 BC. e. Joachim rebels against Babylon and refuses to pay tribute. However, due to a very sudden death, he was never able to enjoy the fruits of his decisions.
The Babylonians removed a tenth of the country's population
Meanwhile, his son found himself in a rather ambiguous situation. Three years later, Nebuchadnezzar II takes all the reins of power into his own hands, leading a very strong army, and, without hesitation, he begins the siege of Jerusalem. The young ruler of Judah, Jehoiachin (Yehoyachin), realizing that the Egyptians, on whom his late father so hoped, were not providing support, and, moreover, perfectly imagining all the dramatic consequences of a long siege of his capital for the inhabitants, decides to surrender. Jehoiachin's step can be appreciated, because it made it possible to avoid the destruction of Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar agreed to keep the city intact. However, the sacred temple of Solomon was plundered, and the Jewish ruler himself and representatives of noble families were to be deported to Babylon. Joachim's uncle Zedekiah becomes king of the kingdom of Judah.
Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II
Meanwhile, Egypt, not wanting to give up its territorial claims, continues to negotiate with defeated Judea (as well as with other states in the region) regarding the possibility of overthrowing Babylonian rule. The Jewish ruler Zedekiah declares his readiness to enter into the fight against Babylon, but his valiant decision is not supported by his compatriots, who have retained in their memory the consequences of Nebuchadnezzar's countermeasures. Despite all possible obstacles and doubts, war turns out to be inevitable. The inhabitants of Jerusalem rebelled against the colonialists at the end of 589 BC. e. or at the beginning of next year. Nebuchadnezzar and his troops return to Syria and Palestine, having made the final decision to put an end to the constant rebellions forever.
In Babylon, Jews maintained ties with their homeland
The Babylonian commander located his camp near the famous Syrian Homs - from there he led the siege of Jerusalem. Despite the futile attempts of the Egyptians to help the besieged city, the residents are suffering catastrophic food shortages. Realizing that the decisive moment was coming, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the creation of embankments with the help of which his troops could reach the top of the fortress walls, but in the end the Babylonians burst into the city through a hole in the wall. The long and painful eighteen months of fierce resistance end rather sadly: all the Jewish soldiers, and the king himself, are forced to hastily retreat to the Jordan Valley, in the hope of avoiding the terrible torture that the Babylonians usually inflicted on defeated enemies. The Jewish ruler Zedekiah is captured - the defeated king appears before Nebuchadnezzar. The rebels suffered a terrible punishment: the sons of Zedekiah were killed in the presence of their father, and then his eyes were gouged out and, chained, he was brought to a Babylonian prison. This moment marked the beginning of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, which lasted almost 70 years.
The Babylonian kingdom, in which the captive Jews found themselves, was a vast territory located in a low-lying plain, between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. For the Jews, the native landscape of picturesque mountains was replaced by vast fields, fragmented by artificial canals, interspersed with huge cities, in the center of which gigantic buildings - ziggurats - rose majestically. At the time described, Babylon was among the greatest and richest cities in the world. It was decorated with numerous temples and palaces, which aroused admiration not only among new captives, but also among all guests of the city.
In captivity, the Jews observed their customs and celebrated the Sabbath
Babylon by that time had about a million inhabitants (a considerable figure at that time), it was surrounded by a double protective line of fortress walls of such thickness that a carriage drawn by four horses could easily pass through them. Over six hundred towers and countless archers guarded the peace of the capital's inhabitants around the clock. The majestic architecture of the city gave it additional splendor, for example, the famous carved gate of the goddess Ishtar, which was reached by a street decorated with bas-reliefs of lions. In the center of Babylon was located one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, located on terraces supported by special brick arches. Another place of attraction and religious cult was the temple of the god Marduk, revered by the Babylonians. Next to him, a ziggurat soared high into the sky - a seven-tiered tower built in the 3rd millennium BC. e. At its top, blue tiles of a small sanctuary were solemnly kept, in which, according to the Babylonians, Marchuk himself once lived.
Jewish houses of worship in Babylon - prototypes of modern synagogues
Naturally, the majestic, huge city made a strong impression on the Jewish captives - they were forcibly relocated from Jerusalem, which was small at that time and quite provincial, to the center of world life, practically in the thick of things. Initially, the captives were kept in special camps and were forced to work in the city itself: either in the construction of royal palaces, or helping in the construction of irrigation canals. It should be noted that after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, many Jews began to regain personal freedom. Leaving the big and bustling city, they settled on the outskirts of the capital, engaged mainly in agriculture: gardening or vegetable growing. Some recent captives became financial magnates; thanks to their knowledge and hard work, they even managed to occupy major positions in the civil service and at the royal court.
Finding themselves unwittingly involved in the life of the Babylonians, some of the Jews, in order to survive, had to assimilate and forget about their homeland for a while. But for the overwhelming majority of the people, nevertheless, the memory of Jerusalem remained sacred. The Jews gathered together on one of the many canals - “the rivers of Babylon” - and, sharing with everyone their longing for their homeland, they sang sad and nostalgic songs. One of the Jewish religious poets, the author of Psalm 136, tried to reflect their feelings: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept when we remembered Zion... If I forget you, Jerusalem, forget me, my right hand; stick my tongue to my throat, if I do not remember you, if I do not put Jerusalem at the head of my joy.”
A. Pucinelli “Babylonian Captivity” (1821)
While other residents of Israel, resettled by the Assyrians in 721, scattered around the world and as a result disappeared without a trace from the map of the peoples of Asia, the Jews during the Babylonian captivity tried to settle together in cities and towns, called on their compatriots to strictly observe the ancient customs of their ancestors, celebrate the Sabbath and other traditional religious holidays, and since they did not have a single temple, they were forced to gather for joint prayers in the houses of priests. These private chamber houses of worship became the forerunners of future synagogues. The process of uniting the national identity of the Jews led to the emergence of scientists and scribes who collected and systematized the spiritual heritage of the Jews. Recent captives managed to rescue some scrolls of the Holy Scriptures from the burning Temple of Jerusalem, although many historical materials had to be recorded anew, relying on existing oral tradition and sources. This is how the text of the Holy Scripture was restored and experienced by all the people, which was finally processed and edited after returning to their homeland.
F. Hayes “The destruction of the temple in Jerusalem” (1867)
After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, as often happens with the departure of an outstanding commander, the decline of the Babylonian kingdom began. The new king Nabonidus did not possess the qualities of either a brave warrior or a talented and active statesman. Over time, Nabonidus began to avoid governing his empire altogether, leaving Babylon and settling in his personal palace in Northern Arabia, leaving his son Belshazzar to deal with state affairs.
One of the central events of the Old Testament is the story of Moses, the salvation of the Jewish people from the power of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Many skeptics are looking for historical evidence of the events that took place, since in the biblical account there were many miracles performed on the way to the Promised Land. However, be that as it may, this story is quite entertaining and tells about the incredible liberation and resettlement of an entire people.
The birth of the future prophet was initially shrouded in mystery. Almost the only source of information about Moses was the biblical scriptures, since there is no direct historical evidence, there is only indirect evidence. In the year of the prophet’s birth, the ruling Pharaoh Ramses II ordered all newborn children to be drowned in the Nile, since, despite the hard work and oppression of the Jews, they continued to be fruitful and multiply. Pharaoh was afraid that one day they might side with his enemies.
That is why Moses’ mother hid him from everyone for the first three months. When this was no longer possible, she tarred the basket and placed her child there. Together with her eldest daughter, she took her to the river and left Mariam to see what happened next.
God wanted Moses and Ramses to meet. History, as mentioned above, is silent about the details. The basket was picked up by the pharaoh's daughter and brought to the palace. According to another version (which some historians adhere to), Moses belonged to the royal family and was the son of that very daughter of Pharaoh.
Be that as it may, the future prophet ended up in the palace. Miriam, who had observed whoever lifted the basket, offered Moses' own mother as a nurse. So the son returned to the family for a while.
Life of a Prophet in the Palace
After Moses grew up a little and no longer needed a nurse, his mother took the future prophet to the palace. He lived there for quite a long time, and was also adopted by the pharaoh's daughter. Moses knew what kind of person he was, he knew that he was a Jew. And although he studied along with the rest of the children of the royal family, he did not absorb cruelty.
The story of Moses from the Bible shows that he did not worship the many gods of Egypt, but remained faithful to the beliefs of his ancestors.
Moses loved his people and suffered every time he saw their torment, when he saw how mercilessly every Israelite was exploited. One day something happened that forced the future prophet to flee Egypt. Moses witnessed the brutal beating of one of his people. In a fit of rage, the future prophet snatched the whip from the hands of the overseer and killed him. Since no one saw what he did (as Moses thought), the body was simply buried.
After some time, Moses realized that many already knew what he had done. Pharaoh orders the arrest and death of his daughter's son. History is silent about how Moses and Ramses treated each other. Why did they decide to try him for the murder of the overseer? You can take into account different versions of what happened, however, most likely, the decisive thing was that Moses was not an Egyptian. As a result of all this, the future prophet decides to flee Egypt.
Flight from Pharaoh and the further life of Moses
According to biblical data, the future prophet headed to the land of Midian. The further story of Moses tells of his family life. He married the daughter of the priest Jethro, Zipporah. Living this life, he became a shepherd and learned to live in the desert. He also had two sons.
Some sources claim that before marrying, Moses lived for some time with the Saracens and had a prominent position there. However, it should still be taken into account that the only source of the narrative about his life is the Bible, which, like any ancient scripture, over time acquired a certain allegorical touch.
Divine revelation and the appearance of the Lord to the prophet
Be that as it may, the biblical story about Moses tells that it was in the land of Midian, when he was tending flocks, that the Lord was revealed to him. The future prophet was eighty years old at this time. It was at this age that he encountered a thorn bush on his way, which blazed with flames but did not burn.
At this point, Moses was instructed that he must save the people of Israel from Egyptian power. The Lord commanded to return to Egypt and take his people to the promised land, freeing them from long-term slavery. However, the Almighty Father warned Moses about difficulties on his way. So that he had the opportunity to overcome them, he was given the ability to perform miracles. Because Moses was tongue-tied, God ordered his brother Aaron to help him.
Return of Moses to Egypt. Ten Plagues
The history of the prophet Moses, as a herald of God's will, began on the day when he appeared before the Pharaoh, who ruled Egypt at that time. This was a different ruler, not the one from whom Moses fled at one time. Of course, Pharaoh refused the demand to release the Israeli people, and even increased the labor obligation for his slaves.
Moses and Ramses, whose history is more obscure than researchers would like, clashed in a confrontation. The prophet did not accept the first defeat; he came to the ruler several more times and ultimately said that God’s punishment would fall on the Egyptian land. And so it happened. By the will of God, ten plagues occurred that fell on Egypt and its inhabitants. After each of them, the ruler called on his sorcerers, but they found Moses’ magic more skillful. After each misfortune, Pharaoh agreed to let the people of Israel go, but each time he changed his mind. Only after the tenth did Jewish slaves become free.
Of course, the story of Moses did not end there. The Prophet still had years of travel ahead of him, as well as confrontation with the unbelief of his fellow tribesmen, until they all reached the Promised Land.
The establishment of Passover and the exodus from Egypt
Before the last plague that befell the Egyptian people, Moses warned the people of Israel about it. This was the killing of the firstborn in every family. However, the forewarned Israelites anointed their door with the blood of a lamb no older than one year, and the punishment passed them by.
On the same night the celebration of the first Easter took place. The story of Moses in the Bible tells of the rituals that preceded it. The slaughtered lamb had to be roasted whole. Then eat while standing, with the whole family gathered. After this event, the people of Israel left the land of Egypt. Pharaoh, in fear, even asked to do this quickly, seeing what happened at night.
The fugitives came out at first dawn. The sign of God's will was a pillar, which was fiery at night and cloudy during the day. It is believed that this particular Easter eventually transformed into the one we know now. The liberation of the Jewish people from slavery symbolized exactly this.
Another miracle that happened almost immediately after leaving Egypt was the crossing of the Red Sea. At the command of the Lord, the waters parted and dry land formed, along which the Israelites crossed to the other side. The pharaoh who chased them also decided to follow along the bottom of the sea. However, Moses and his people were already on the other side, and the waters of the sea closed again. This is how Pharaoh died.
The covenants that Moses received on Mount Sinai
The next stop for the Jewish people was Mount Moses. The story from the Bible tells that on this path the fugitives saw many miracles (manna from heaven, springs of spring water appearing) and became stronger in their faith. Ultimately, after a three-month journey, the Israelites came to Mount Sinai.
Leaving the people at its foot, Moses himself climbed to the top for the instructions of the Lord. There a dialogue took place between the Father of All and his prophet. As a result of all this, the Ten Commandments were received, which became basic for the people of Israel, which became the basis of legislation. Commandments were also received that covered civil and religious life. All this was written down in the Book of the Covenant.
The Israelite People's Forty-Year Desert Journey
The Jewish people stood near Mount Sinai for about a year. Then the Lord gave a sign that we needed to move on. The story of Moses as a prophet continued. He continued to bear the burden of mediating between his people and the Lord. For forty years they wandered through the desert, sometimes living for a long time in places where conditions were more favorable. The Israelites gradually became zealous fulfillers of the covenants that the Lord gave them.
Of course, there were outrages. Not everyone was comfortable with such long journeys. However, as the story of Moses from the Bible testifies, the people of Israel still reached the Promised Land. However, the prophet himself never reached it. Moses had a revelation that another leader would lead them further. He died at the age of 120, but no one ever found out where it happened, since his death was a secret.
Historical facts confirming biblical events
Moses, whose life story we know only from biblical accounts, is a significant figure. However, is there official data that confirms his existence as a historical figure? Some consider all this just a beautiful legend that was invented.
However, some historians are still inclined to believe that Moses is a historical figure. This is evidenced by some information contained in the biblical story (slaves in Egypt, the birth of Moses). Thus, we can say that this is far from a fictional story, and all these miracles actually happened in those distant times.
It should be noted that today this event has been depicted more than once in cinema, and cartoons have also been created. They tell about heroes such as Moses and Ramses, whose history is little described in the Bible. Particular attention in the cinema is paid to the miracles that happened during their journey. Be that as it may, all these films and cartoons educate and instill morality in the younger generation. They are also useful for adults, especially those who have lost faith in miracles.
The holiday of Passover (Easter) is the main one in the entire series of Jewish holidays. Of the four holidays commanded to the Jews by the Pentateuch of Moses, it is named first, and this is obviously not accidental. Passover is dedicated to one of the most significant events in biblical history - the exodus from Egypt and the liberation of the people from 400 years of slavery.
Most scientists believe that this happened in the 13th century. BC, around 1200.
The word "passover" means "to pass by, to miss." It arose in memory of how the angel of death passed by the dwellings of the Israelites, striking only the Egyptian firstborn in the days of the tenth plague sent by God to Pharaoh and his kingdom. Through Moses and Aaron, God commanded the Jews to prepare a sacrificial lamb and smear both doorposts and the lintel of the door of each Jewish house with its blood. Thus, God spared all the Jewish firstborns, defeating the Egyptians. Only after the death of all the Egyptian firstborns did Pharaoh allow the Jews to leave Egypt. Therefore, Passover is associated with the glorification of Jewish freedom.
Passover is the celebration of the exodus from the “house of slavery.”
Slavery begins like this: a slave works for other people who determine the goals and way of his life. As long as a slave - be it an individual or an entire people - recognizes himself as a slave, as long as he understands his own interests and painfully experiences oppression, slavery is not yet final. The situation gets worse when a slave forgets that he is a slave, then slavery ceases to be just an external dependence and, penetrating into the soul of a person, becomes a familiar way of life - familiar and even desirable.
The prophets and sages, speaking of the slavery of Israel in Egypt, emphasize that the Jews began to lose the painful feeling of slavery, and they were imbued with the ideas of the Egyptian people to such an extent that they began to perform the hard work that was entrusted to them with unfeigned enthusiasm. As stated in the account of the exodus from Egypt, God came to take away a people from among the people. This means that Israel plunged into the very midst of the enslaving people, as if stuck in this environment.
The deliverance of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery occurred at a time when the Jews themselves had almost no desire left to be freed. The punishments to the Egyptians became more and more severe, not only so that they agreed to release the Jews, but also to spur everyone who hesitated and continued to think about whether it was more profitable to leave or stay.
As has already been said, in order for Pharaoh to release the Jews kindly, ten plagues had to be sent in turn throughout Egypt. Nine of them fell on the Egyptians directly from heaven - Moses only foreshadowed them to Pharaoh. And all the other Jews simply remained on the sidelines. That is, God seemed to act for the people of Israel, without involving them in any way.
The situation changed when the time came for the tenth plague - the death of all Egyptian firstborns. The execution itself still remained in the hands of the Almighty. But the Jews were required to sacrifice the Passover lamb and anoint the doorposts on the street side with its blood. The reason for this action voiced in Exodus was this: when the angel of death goes through cities and villages to destroy the Egyptian firstborn, there should be a sign on Jewish houses - where he does not need to go. The blood of the Easter sacrifice was such a sign.
The reason seems to be on the surface, however, with a little reflection it becomes clear that it itself is superficial. Well, in fact, why didn’t previous executions affect Jewish houses without any signs, but suddenly they were needed here? God or His angel already sees through everything - who needs these signs? It turns out – to the Jews themselves.
After all, we are still dealing with slavery in the soul. In everyday life, this slavery manifested itself as the efforts of Jews not to outwardly stand out among the Egyptians, to be the same as them - why, they say, irritate anti-Semites, bring troubles upon their own heads. We will, as we should, pray to the One God at home, behind closed shutters, and outwardly let them not distinguish us from these idolaters.
That is why, before leaving physical slavery, every Jew had to take a step out of spiritual slavery. Anointing the doorposts with blood, and anointing it specifically from the street side, meant openly declaring: yes, I am different, I am different from you, I believe in One God and am not afraid to confess my faith!
Demanding from Pharaoh that he let the people of Israel go, Moses and Aaron argued this by the need to make a sacrifice to the Lord in the desert. Pharaoh and Moses argued around this argument. At first glance, it seems that the request of Moses and Aaron is a simple ruse. In fact, what we are talking about here is what constitutes the essence of the exodus from slavery.
Slaves have no real gods, the sacred duty of a slave is to do his job. However, at the moment when the slave discovers for himself Who is the Master over the masters, to Whom everyone is subordinate, he ceases to be a slave in his soul. Pharaoh was not mistaken when he decided that the very desire to go out to celebrate was a prerequisite for deliverance. He tried to prevent national revival through a series of measures designed to break the spirit of the people with backbreaking work, which led to a state where people could no longer not only dream, but even simply desire anything that would go beyond the simplest needs of life.
Trying to achieve liberation through the physical outcome alone cannot lead to real liberation. He who renounces his individuality remains a slave, even if he has no masters standing over his soul. True freedom is impossible without realizing your goal and acquiring your own scale of values.
One wise man said: it was easier to bring Jews out of exile than exile from Jews. The exodus from slavery may be the beginning of great things, but in itself it is not even a glimpse of deliverance. Therefore, it is so important to indicate the purpose of the exodus from Egypt: to offer sacrifice to the Lord in the desert. When a higher, spiritual goal appears, when new life prospects open up that deny the continuation of a slave life, then real deliverance begins.
The book of Exodus says: “And Moses said to the people, Remember this day in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: for with a mighty hand the Lord brought you out from there...” Why is this historical event so important for us today? Why do we remember deliverance year after year and pass this story on to our children and grandchildren? Our goal is for every person in every generation to see themselves as if they themselves came out of Egypt. It is the duty of each of us to ask ourselves once again whether we are realizing in practice, in our lives, this freedom and the exodus from slavery to liberation; are we truly free?
Everyone probably knows moments when they face difficulties, experience limitations and disappointments. We may not call it “slavery,” and perhaps we are accustomed to it and take it for granted, but often we realize that the world around us dominates us. Slavery is not only total, in which a person is under the control of a dictator. There are situations from which a person cannot find a way out - he feels “under the power” of the current situation, he is “enslaved” by the world around him. It happens when plans, dreams collapse, all efforts go in vain, it seems that life itself is collapsing.
The world is full of suffering, humiliation and injustice. Liberation is not a momentary event: it is a process that began more than three thousand years ago and continues today. At every moment of our lives we must come out of Egypt. Egypt is a symbol of our insurmountable (but completely surmountable) limitations. As long as we continue to remain slaves to prejudices and behavioral stereotypes, we are slaves of Egypt. As long as the situation we find ourselves in controls us instead of being under our control, we are enslaved to it. As long as we prevent ourselves from reaching our potential, as long as we tell ourselves that we cannot become higher, deeper, better, that we are unable to do more, we are slaves to Egypt.
When the Jews called out to the Lord, began to seek Him, and wanted to serve Him, God not only delivered them from oppression, but also gave them a law that they were obliged to keep at all times and centuries. The people received a foundation of faith and bright hope for the future.
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The Exodus became the central point of all Jewish (and world) history. He shaped the national consciousness of the Jews and marked the beginning of Israel's existence as a free people. The lessons learned from the experience of Egyptian slavery and miraculous liberation became the basis on which the most important principles of Jewish religious and ethical teaching are based. God also wants the outcome to have a special place in the hearts of His people. This is evidenced by the wording of the first of the Ten Commandments: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”.
Passover is a very diverse holiday. It is a celebration of deliverance from Egyptian slavery, it is also a celebration of the national unity of the people of Israel, forged in the melting pot of suffering and deliverance; a celebration of the greatness of the Jewish family, realizing the miracle of unity; This is a spring holiday, because the blossoming of nature means the renewal and awakening of the people enjoying life. And, above all, it is a holiday of freedom, the freedom of every individual Jew and the freedom of the entire Jewish people.
