LESSON #2:

THE EGYPTIAN CULTURE

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THE GEOGRAPHIC SETTING

• Land
• Nile River

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 Ur

Egypt

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 Canaan:
Rain

Egypt:
No Rain
“Irrigated by the foot.”

• Deuteronomy 11:10 “The land you are entering to take over is not like the
land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and
irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land that you are going
over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain
from heaven, a land that the LORD your God cares for. The eyes of the
LORD your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the
end of the year.”

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HISTORICAL SETTING

• Hyksos
• Hatshepsut

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HISTORICAL SETTING

• Hyksos
• Exodus 1:8 “Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to
power in Egypt. ‘Look,’ he said to his people, ‘the Israelites have become
far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they
will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our
enemies, fight against us and leave the country.’”

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HATSHEPSUT

• Moses likely adopted by Hatshepshut… but why?

• Acts 7:20 “At this time Moses was born, and he was
beautiful in God's sight. And he was brought up for
three months in his father's house, and when he was
exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and
brought him up as her own son. And Moses was
instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he
was mighty in his words and deeds.”

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HATSHEPSUT

• Born in 1541 B.C., she would have been 15 when

Moses was born in 1526.

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 Thutmose I (1526-1512) [Moses born in 1526]

GENEOLOGY Mutnofret Ahmose

Hatshepsut Nefruibity
Thutmose II Wadmose Amenmose
(r. 1504-1482)
(1512-1504)

Hatshepsut adopted
Moses at the
non-royal 10 yrs
old in Moses beginning of her
Merytre- fathers reign. She
1504 22 yrs old in
Hatshepsut boldly assumed the
1504
throne upon the death
Thutmose III From his birth in 1526 until Nefrure of her stepbrother and
40 years Moses in Midian (co-reigned 1504- his step brothers birth in (died in childhood) kept it until her death.
1486-1446 1482, alone 1482- 1514 Moses would have
1450) been the sole prince to
Rule 40 yrs; Died Ex. occupy the throne.
2:23; 4:19

Amenhotep II (1450-1424). Son of Thutmose III. Pharaoh of Plagues/Passover in 1446.

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MOSES’ BACKGROUND AND POLITICAL TENSIONS
• Moses trained/ educated to be Pharaoh or Political office?
• Step brother, Thutmose III born when Moses was 12.
• The next 28 years he’s a man without a country.
• Moses kills an Egyptian and flees to Midian (Acts 7:25).
• 40 years later, Thutmose III died, God says to Moses: “GO!”
• Moses replies to God: “NO!”
MOSES’ BACKGROUND AND POLITICAL TENSIONS

Moses: No!
1. Insecurity–I’m not good enough Exodus 3:10
2. Fear–who am I? Exodus 3:11
3. Uncertainty—what do I say? Exodus 3:13
4. Doubt—what if? Exodus 4:1
5. Rebellion – Nope! I don’t want do it! Send someone
else! Exodus 4:13
MOSES’ BACKGROUND AND POLITICAL TENSIONS

Moses didn’t want to return to Egypt, because of his

failed political career, his ties to the throne, the fact
that he had killed an Egyptian, and with the
transition of power from Thutmose III to the next
Pharaoh – people would think his return would be
linked to a Military coup, to take the throne.
RELIGIOUS SETTING

• The Exodus as judgement on Egyptian gods

• The Papyrus Ipuwer

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RELIGIOUS SETTING

• Judgement on Egyptian gods

• Numbers 33:3 ”The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first
month, the day after the Passover. They marched out boldly in full view of all the
Egyptians, who were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down
among them; for the LORD had brought judgment on their gods.”

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Plagues 1-5 & Judgement on Egyptian gods

• The book of Exodus

• Blood 7:14-25 • Hapi (Apis), the bull god, god of the Nile.

• Frogs 8:1-15 • Heqet, goddess of birth, with a frog head.

• Lice 8:16-19 • Set, the god of the desert.

• Flies 8:20-32 • Re, sun god

• Disease on animals • Apis, the bull god, symbol of fertility.

• 9:1-7

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Plagues 6-10 & Judgement on Egyptian gods

• The book of Exodus

• Boils on man and • Sekhmet, goddess with power over
animals 9:8-12 disease
• Hail 9:13-35 • Nut, the sky goddess

• Locust 10:1-20 • Osiris, god of crops and fertility.

• Darkness 10:21-9 • Re, the sun god

• Death 11:1-2:36 • Isis, goddess who protected children.

*Pharaoh’s firstborn son who was
considered a god.

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Papyrus Ipuwer—Egyptian Version of the 10 Plagues

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Papyrus Ipuwer—Egyptian Version of the 10 Plagues

• Nile to blood
• Exodus 7:21 “… there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”
• Papyrus 2:5-6 “Plague is throughout the land. Blood is everywhere.”

• Exodus 7:20 “…all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.”
• Papyrus 2:10 “The river is blood.”

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Papyrus Ipuwer—Egyptian Version of the 10 Plagues

• No water
• Exodus 7:24 “And all the Egyptians dug round about the river for water to drink; for their could not drink of
the water of the river.”
• Papyrus 2:10 “Men shrink from tasting—human begins, and thirst after water.”

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Papyrus Ipuwer—Egyptian Version of the 10 Plagues

• Fire spread all over the land

• Exodus 9:23-24 “… the fire ran along the ground.... there was hail, and fire mingled
with the hail, very grievous.”
• Papyrus 2:10 Forsooth, gates, columns and walls are consumed by fire.

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Papyrus Ipuwer—Egyptian Version of the 10 Plagues

• Destruction in the fields

• Exodus 9:25 “… and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.”
• Papyrus 4:14 “Trees are destroyed.”
• Papyrus 6:1 “No fruit nor herbs are found.”

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Papyrus Ipuwer—Egyptian Version of the 10 Plagues

• Fields devastated
• Exodus 10:15 “... there remained not any green things in the trees, or in the herbs of the fields, through all
the land of Egypt.”
• Papyrus 6:3 “Forsooth, grain has perished on every side.”
• Papyrus 5:12 “Forsooth, that has perished which yesterday was seen. The land is left over to its weariness
like the cutting of flax.”

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Papyrus Ipuwer—Egyptian Version of the 10 Plagues

• Hail and fire; cattle flee

• Exodus 12:29 “And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,
from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the
dungeon.”
• Papyrus 4:3 and 5:6 “Forsooth, the children of princes are dashed against the walls.”
• Papyrus 6:12 “Forsooth, the children of princes are cast out in the streets.”

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Papyrus Ipuwer—Egyptian Version of the 10 Plagues

• The ninth plague, darkness

• Exodus 10:22 “… and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt.”
• Papyrus 9:11 “The land is not light.”

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Papyrus Ipuwer—Egyptian Version of the 10 Plagues

• Death of the firstborn

• Exodus 9:19 “… gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field.”
• Papyrus 21 “And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.”
• Papyrus 9:2-3 “Behold, cattle are left to stray, and there is none to gather them together. Each man fetches
for himself those that are branded with his name.”

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Papyrus Ipuwer—Egyptian Version of the 10 Plagues

• Cries throughout Egypt

• Exodus 12:30 “… there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.”
• Papyrus 6:3 “The prison is ruined.”
• Papyrus 2:13 “He who places his brother in the ground is everywhere.”

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YOU’VE REACHED THE END OF LESSON #2.

NEXT WEEK:
THE MOABITE &
AMMONITE CULTURE
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