And You Shall Tell Your Son: The Concept of the Exodus in the Bible

by Yair Zakovitch

The Exodus, the central event in the historiography of the Bible and in the collective memory of the biblical period, represents an historical watershed; it shapes the recounting of events both before and after it. In this book, the influence of the Exodus tradition on the ideological - literary shaping of the biblical historiography is investigated, with particular attention paid to such questions as: Why were the Israelites enslaved in Egypt? Why did the Exodus traditions take on such enormous dimensions in the Bible? How is this phenomenon related to the separatism promoted as ideal in the Hebrew Scriptures?

Genres: Christian

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1991

About the author

Yair Zakovitch is Emeritus Father Takeji Otsuki Professor of Bible, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Professor of Jewish Peoplehood, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya. He is author of numerous commentaries and monographs on the Hebrew Bible, and co-author (with Avigdor Shinan) of two Israeli bestsellers. He lives in Israel.

Reviews

[Ross McKnight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Zakovitch does a good job tracing the Exodus through the HB by tracing literary analogy. The book offers a literary approach to the topic. The main question I had while reading (why does he think the Exodus happened?) is settled in the last paragraph. "The myth of the Exodus was created in order to encourage the Israelites to accept the revolution of monotheism and to believe that they make up an exceptional creation completely different from the nations surrounding them." I find this conclusion untenable, but that does not detract from his clear and well-articulated lines of argumentation. This is the thesis of the third chapter, and serves to conclude the book as a whole. The first chapter argues that Israel's Egyptian enslavement was a "measure for measure" consequence for Abraham and Sarah's sins. The second chapter sketches how later biblical characters are modeled after Moses. The third chapter concerns the topic mentioned above.

[Samuel Draper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb little monograph on the literary function and effect of the Exodus narrative across the Hebrew Bible. Zakovitch's eye for intertextual allusion is first-class, and while some of his historical claims may not convince me entirely, his clear ability to succinctly make a case for an intentional intertextual connection is impressive. The absolute prominence of the Exodus narrative, both explicitly and implicitly, within the scope of the Hebrew Bible cannot be overstated. Myriads of characters and narratives across its remit (and beyond) are shaped, colored, or reversed in relation to this formative narrative. I'd consider this recommended reading for anyone interested in the internal mechanisms of Hebrew Bible narrative, and character formation (both of which seem necessary for any later conclusions be they historical, moral, theological, or what-have-you.) It helps as well that this is written in pretty accessible prose.

Highly recommend to anyone interested in these topics or fields.