Texts · 17 · Moses and Joshua
'A new king who did not know Joseph'
How do you join a story where Egypt welcomes Israel to one where Egypt enslaves it? Scribes introduced a regime change: a new Pharaoh who forgot Joseph.
One sentence united two histories.
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Exodus 1 is the hinge connecting Genesis to the exodus story. Scribes also added links like God introducing himself as 'the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Combining rival works into one narrative was unprecedented in the ancient world.
Bible reference: Exodus 1:8
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 278–279
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