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The Exodus from Egypt
Set c. 13th century BC (c. 1446 BC by biblical reckoning)· Event· Judaism, Christianity & Islam
Faith & scriptureHeld by believers on faith and scripture; history can neither confirm nor rule it out.
The Bible's account of the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt, remembered by Jews every year at Passover.
See it on the World Religions map →What it is
Exodus teaches that a new pharaoh enslaved the Israelites. God sent ten plagues; on the last night Egypt's firstborn died while death passed over Israelite homes marked with lamb's blood. Pharaoh let the people go, then chased them, and the sea (the Red, or Reed, Sea) parted for Israel and closed over his army. The people then wandered the Sinai desert for 40 years. Jews retell the story each spring at the Passover Seder meal.
Why it matters
It is Judaism's founding story of freedom and God's saving power. It shaped Christian Easter, which falls near Passover, and inspired enslaved African Americans and the civil rights movement.
Faith and history
The account is scripture; no Egyptian record of it has been found, and Sinai shows no trace of a large migration. Egypt did use Semitic laborers, and the Merneptah Stele names 'Israel' in Canaan around 1208 BC.
Questions and debates
Many scholars think a smaller group's escape grew into the national story; others see a founding myth. Its date, route and scale are unknown.
Connections (2)
▸Moses led The Exodus from EgyptFaith & scripture
The connection
The Bible teaches that God chose Moses to confront Pharaoh, announce the ten plagues and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He stretched his staff over the sea to part it, then guided the people through the desert toward Canaan, pleading with God for them when they rebelled.
When and where
Egypt and Sinai, set by tradition in the 13th century BC, or about 1446 BC by biblical reckoning; told in the Book of Exodus.
How do we know?
Scripture alone records the link; no Egyptian source mentions Moses or the Exodus, so history can neither confirm nor rule it out.
Questions and debates
Scholars debate whether a historical leader stands behind the story, and whether the Moses and Exodus traditions were originally separate and joined later.
▸The Exodus from Egypt is narrated in The Torah (Five Books of Moses)Historical record
The connection
The Exodus story fills the Book of Exodus, the Torah's second book, and runs on through Numbers and Deuteronomy, which recount the wilderness years. It is the Torah's central drama, linking the promises of Genesis to the law given at Sinai.
When and where
Written down in Israel and Judah, probably between about 900 and 400 BC by scholarly estimates; tradition credits Moses.
Historical evidence
The text itself: the Exodus is told and retold across the Torah and recalled in prayers and the Passover Haggadah.
Questions and debates
Which parts are the oldest layers, and whether the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15), often dated early, preserves memory of real events.