Egypt

The story of the Israelites’ 400 years of captivity in Egypt is a pivotal chapter in the Bible, beginning with their arrival in Egypt and ending with their miraculous exodus. The Israelites originally came to Egypt during a time of famine, when Joseph, who had risen to a position of power, invited his family to settle in the fertile land of Goshen. Over time, the Israelites prospered and multiplied, but a new Pharaoh arose who did not remember Joseph’s contributions. Fearing the growing population of Israelites, he enslaved them and subjected them to harsh labor.

The Israelites’ suffering intensified, and Pharaoh ordered the killing of all Hebrew male infants to curb their numbers. However, a baby boy named Moses was born to a Levite family. He was hidden for three months, then placed in a basket and set afloat on the Nile River, where he was found and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s household but fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian taskmaster who was mistreating a Hebrew slave. He spent years in Midian, where he married and became a shepherd.

God called Moses through a burning bush and commanded him to return to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from bondage. Moses, with the help of his brother Aaron, confronted Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites. Pharaoh refused, and God sent a series of ten plagues upon Egypt, each one more severe than the last, culminating in the death of the Egyptian firstborn. The Israelites were spared by marking their doorposts with lamb’s blood, an event known as the Passover.

After the final plague, Pharaoh allowed the Israelites to leave. They departed in haste, but Pharaoh pursued them. At the Red Sea, God parted the waters, allowing the Israelites to escape, and then drowned the pursuing Egyptian army. The Israelites began their journey to the Promised Land, ending their 400 years of captivity. Their liberation from Egypt is celebrated annually during Passover and is seen as a foundational moment of divine deliverance and covenant for the Jewish people.

Sir Edward John Poynter - Israel in Egypt

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