Tradycja o wyjściu z Egiptu w Biblii hebrajskiej

Abstract

The article is devoted to the religious significance of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt in the Hebrew Bible, especially in the Pentateuch and the prophetic biblical literature. The Exodus from Egypt is described as a biblical event that constitutes Israel in the likeness of God’s work of creation. In the prophetic books the wandering in the desert is presented as a time of ideal relations between Israel and God. The pre-exilic prophets of judgment emphasized the people’s responsibility resulting from the experience of Exodus. From the time of the Babylonian captivity on, the Exodus from Egypt becomes the paradigm of future salvation. The tradition of the Exodus from Egypt is used in the Hebrew Bible, on the one hand, to show the futuristic aspect of religion, as a path to a salutary goal, and on the other hand, to emphasize its present character, according to which the value of piety in itself is emphasized.