A-Z: Books of the Bible: Exodus

Very important Jewish leader described in the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament. Moses led the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. Received the Ten Commandments form God.

The Jewish spring festival celebrating the deliverance of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt.

Descendants of Israel (Jacob) and occupants of Israel.

In the Old Testament the land where Joseph and Jacob found sustenance in times of famine, though later Israelites were held captive and made to work as slaves for the Pharaoh.

1. A term for the first five books of the Bible (also called the Torah or Pentateuch). Torah means instruction, doctrine, law'. 2. Instruction and guidelines covering every aspect of life contained in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).

Also called 'The Decalogue' (Ten Words). Instructions said to have been given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai, which have not only shaped Jewish and Christian belief and practice but also strongly influenced the legal systems of many countries.

1. The desert area where Moses and the Israelites lived for forty years. 2. The mountains where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

The Bible describes God as the unique supreme being, creator and ruler of the universe.

A binding agreement / treaty.

In the Old Testament wilderness is comparable to the word desert. It usually means a rocky, dry wasteland. It is also the traditional place of trial and temptation, as Jesus encountered after his baptism.

A sacred tent, a portable and provisional sanctuary, where God met His people Israel.

The giving of the Ten Commandments is a story within a larger story, which tells of God's deliverance of the people of Israel from captivity in Egypt. He enters into a covenant relationship with them whereby they undertake to be faithful to God's law. The actual giving of the commandments at Mount Sinai is described as a terrifying experience in which God 'comes down' to talk with Moses and inscribes the ten points of his law for humankind on tablets of stone. These summarise God's covenant with his people and set out a basic ethical norm applicable to people in all ages. The first four concern humankind's relationship to God, the remaining six people's relationship to others. The commandments: ' show God's concern for the whole of life ' set out standards governing family relationships, regard for human life, sex, property, speech and thought ' illustrate that, as creator, God alone can show his creatures how to behave.

Related Topics

Big ideas: Moses; The Ten Commandments