Big Ideas · 17 · Moses and Joshua
Two rival origin stories
Genesis tells of one family slowly becoming a nation in its land. Exodus tells of slaves fleeing Egypt and conquering a new land all at once.
Two visions: coexistence and conquest.
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In Genesis, the patriarchs make treaties and buy land, and Egypt welcomes refugees. In Exodus through Joshua, Egypt is a house of bondage and Canaan is taken by force. This tension, conciliatory versus militant, defines the Pentateuch.
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 275–277
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