The Egyptian Sojourn and Oppression

For roughly four centuries, the Israelites dwell in Egypt. What began as honored guests under Joseph’s protection transforms into brutal slavery under a new dynasty that “knew not Joseph.” The Israelites multiply so greatly that Pharaoh fears them as a threat. He enslaves them, forcing them to build store-cities under harsh conditions. When their numbers continue to grow, Pharaoh orders Hebrew midwives to kill male infants at birth— they refuse. Finally, he decrees that all baby boys be thrown into the Nile. In this darkest hour, a baby named Moses is hidden in a basket, found by Pharaoh’s daughter, and raised in the Egyptian court—unknowingly being prepared to deliver his people.

Historical Dating

Traditional chronology places Israel’s time in Egypt at 430 years (1876-1446 BCE, based on Exodus 12:40-41). Modern scholarship finds limited archaeological evidence for a large-scale Israelite presence in Egypt during this period, with some scholars dating any historical exodus to the 13th century BCE during the reign of Ramesses II.