Exodus, the liberation of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt in the 13th century bce, under the leadership of Moses; also, the Old Testament book of the same name.

What is the late date of the Exodus?

Most proponents of the late date believe the biblical and archaeological data discovered so far indicate the Exo- dus happened in the thirteenth century B.C. sometime around 1267 B.C. in the nineteenth dynasty, twenty years into the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II (1279-1213 B.C.).

What was the year of Moses?

Generally Moses is seen as a legendary figure, whilst retaining the possibility that Moses or a Moses-like figure existed in the 13th century BCE. Rabbinical Judaism calculated a lifespan of Moses corresponding to 1391–1271 BCE; Jerome suggested 1592 BCE, and James Ussher suggested 1571 BCE as his birth year.

What year did the Israelites enter the Promised Land?

1250 bce During the transition from the Late Bronze to the Early Iron Age—probably about 1250 bce—the Israelites entered Canaan, settling at first in the hill country and in the south.

What is the significance of the exodus event in the Bible?

The Exodus story shows how the Jews struggled in Egypt, were saved by Yahweh, and were led out of Egypt. They were chosen to become his people and agreed to do so, making a covenant with him. Yahweh gave Moses the Ten Commandments, a basis for the entire Jewish Law.

Why did it take 40 years for the Israelites?

Corresponding to the 40 days that the spies toured the land, God decreed that the Israelites would wander in the wilderness for 40 years as a result of their unwillingness to take the land. God brought victories where needed, and his promise to Abraham was fulfilled.

What did God want Moses to do?

God asked Moses to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. Moses was at first reluctant, thinking that the Israelites would not believe he had heard the word of God. The Pharaoh then changed his mind, and sent his army in pursuit of the Israelites.

Does the land of Canaan still exist?

Canaan included what today are Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, northwestern Jordan, and some western areas of Syria.

What race were Hittites?

The Hittites were an ancient group of Indo-Europeans who moved into Asian Minor and formed an empire at Hattusa in Anatolia (modern Turkey) around 1600 BCE. The Hittite Empire reached great heights during the mid-1300s BCE, when it spread across Asia Minor, into the northern Levant and Upper Mesopotamia.