Ancient Near Eastern Index – Parashat Bo/0

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Ancient Near Eastern Index – Parashat Bo

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Overview

Knowledge of the history, law, cultic practices and realia of the Ancient Near East can often shed much light on Tanakh. This index contains a list of links to articles which touch on the connections between Tanakh and ancient cultures.

The Plagues and Egyptian Deities

Both Shemot 12:12 and Bemidbar 33:4 explicitly state that the Plague of the Firstborn executed a "judgment against the [Egyptian] gods". Both Midrashim and scholars have suggested that the other plagues as well might have targeted what were believed to be Egyptian deities.

Primary Sources

Articles

Terms and Names

  • See Egyptian Background and the Exodus Narrative for explanation of the possible Egyptian etymology of the names Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam. See there also for discussion of the significance of the term "יד חזקה" in light of the fact that Parohs often bragged about their "strong arm" and the term "כבד לב" in light of the Egyptian belied that hearts were weighed to see if they were too heavy t pass into the afterlife.
    See The Egyptian Derivation of the Name Moses, by J. Gwyn Grifiths, for analysis of suggestions about the Egyptian root of the name Moshe and the weaknesses of various theories.

"הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם"

The calendar developed in ancient Egypt was among the earliest in history, and was used for thousands of years.  In contrast to the Torah’s calendar, the Egyptian calendar was solar and its seasons were based on the annual stages of the Nile.  The Torah’s introduction of a new calendrical system represented a break from Egyptian culture and its focus on the Nile.

Maztah vs. Leavened Bread

The Pesach Sacrifice

Commentators have asserted that the paschal sacrifice symbolized a rejection of Egyptian worship of sheep.1 

  • See Dr. Rivka Ulmer’s The Egyptian Gods in Midrashic Texts for an overview of the Sages' references to and understanding of Egyptian religion.
  • Two Egyptian gods were associated with rams: Khnum and Amun.  For information about these gods, see: Khnum and Amun.  For an image of Khnum, see here and for an image of Amun, see here.