Shedding Egypt, Becoming Israel

This study explores the impact of Egyptian culture on the Israelites during the exodus, attempting to answer questions of why certain laws exist and why actions that are prescribed by the law are ignored, such as the need to circumcise grown men in Josh 5:2-9. By exploring the role of circumcision in the exodus narrative, the book examines how Egyptian cultural and religious customs influenced Israelite practices, the characterization of Moses, and Joshua’s act of circumcising the Israelites as a final step in forging their national identity. The study concludes that the Israelites adopted various cultural and religious norms from their Egyptian context that impacted how they behaved during the exodus.