Exodus

The central story of the Hebrew BIBLE and a formative event in the history of JUDAISM. The root meaning of the word "exodus" is "a going out." During the Exodus, MOSES led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. They wandered through the desert of Sinai for 40 years before entering the promised land of Canaan. During this time they entered into a COVENANT with the god who had freed them, YHWH ("the Lord"), at Mt. Sinai. There they received the TEN COMMANDMENTS and, according to Jewish tradition, the entire law ( TORAH). The only information about the Exodus comes from the Bible; no outside sources confi rm it. Most scholars think that some slaves did escape from Egypt, but they disagree on the details. For example, they disagree on how many slaves escaped and what route they took. They also disagree on the date. Many date the Exodus to around 1250 B.C.E. Some prefer to date it earlier, around 1425. The three major JEWISH FESTIVALS—PASSOVER, Shavuot, and Sukkot—commemorate the major events of the Exodus.