Of Pharaohs and Kings—Whence the Exodus?

Abstract

A close correlation exists between the stories surrounding the Exodus (the ‘Exodus narrative’) and the stories dealing with the rebellions of Jeroboam against Solomon and Rehoboam (the ‘Jeroboam narrative’). The encounters between Moses and the two Pharaohs are proposed as parallel to the encounters between Jeroboam and these two Judaean kings. To determine which narrative is dependent upon the other, two analytical processes are utilized. The geographical sites commonly mentioned as visited during the Exodus are investigated within their biblical context. These locales indicate movement within and around Israel and its immediate neighbors (to the exclusion of Egypt), a movement essentially to the north. In addition, Exodus I contains a wordplay on the name Jeroboam, references to Solomon's imposition of corvée labor and a suggestion for the identification of the store-cities, Pithom and Rameses. Hence, the biblical account of the Exodus is an allegory, reflecting the time and events surrounding the reigns of Solomon and Rehoboam and the division of the Israelite Kingdom.