Escape From Egypt
October 13, 2016 Sarah Marthes
Sonia Levitin
Awards received for the book:
- YALSA Best Books For Young Adults 1995
- Voice of Youth Advocates Outstanding Books 1994
- New York Public Library 1995 Books for The Teen Age List
Significant Quotes
- "How could you worship a god so cruel?". This quote was made by the character jennat in the book. She was asking Jesse ,the main character, why he could worship a God who was setting out multiple plagues upon Egypt and towards his own people if they were suppose to be protected by him.
- "God said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the sons of Israel that they go forward. And lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and split it, so that the sons of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground." This quote is one of the main parts in the book that shows the Israelites how mighty their God is and the reason that they should obey him and follow him.
- "Adonai (God) decreed that we must remain here in the wilderness for forty years, one year for each day that the scouts were spying out the land, doubting God's intentions. It happened two years after we escaped from Egypt. So, thirty-eight more years would pass. All the old ones would die, and the young, those with spirit, would claim the promise land." This quote from the book was said by Jesse. The significance of this quote is that the main point of the book was about the Israelite families that were escaping Egypt and traveling across desserts to reach Canaan, their promised land by God. Even though they were almost to their promise land, scouts had came back and doubted gods will which he cursed the people and told them they weren't to go to Canaan until 40 years later.
Book Summary
Main Conflict
The main conflict happening in this book is of a character, Jesse, who had been raised his whole childhood to pray and hope to be free from slavery. When Jesse is older though he he begins to question his faith and if there is really a God that could help him and his people escape slavery in Egypt and go to their promise land Canaan.
Most Important
The most important point to take from the book is that even when Jesse and the Israelites were tempted and tested that in the end they and the ones who stayed loyal to their belief and their God were rewarded with a promised land by God and protection of their after life.
Conclusion
At the end of the book Jesse and his family finally crossed over to their promised land and were strong in their belief in God and his ways.
Interesting Points
- In the book when Moses ascended up the mountain the first time to write the commandments God was telling him, the Israelites partied and danced and were full of sin. They took the gold they had and melted it and turned it into a golden bull which represented one of the "Gods" that the Egyptians had. While worshiping this "God" Moses was spoken to by god about the Israelites wrong doings and so he descended from the mountain and broke the stone commandments he had been writing and many Israelites were punished by death.
- Toward the end of the book some of the Israelites were rebelling in the following of Moses and God. They planned to follow Korach, Durham, and Abiram who were part of the original following of Moses. God went to Moses and told him to get up from that congregation of the rallying rebels and to seperate them from Gods people. At that moment the earth cracked open and all the rebels were engulfed by the fire that was coming out of the earth and just as quick as it open it closed again taking several Israelites with it.
- When Moses finally lead the Israelites out of Egypt they were stopped by the Red Sea. Even though the pharaoh of Egypt at the time told him to take the slaves and leave his land he raced after them with an army of men with swords and horses and carriages. The pharaoh and his army were closing in on the Israelites when Moses cried out to God and he split the sea for the Israelites to cross to the other side. When they made it to the other side pharaoh and his army were getting stuck in the mud of the sea floor and at that moment the sea walls fell down killing all the Egyptians and his king. Amazed by what they had just seen the Israelites started singing and praising until they were to exaughsted.
Historical Referances
- The pharaoh of the time was a dictator and ruled over all of his people with no mercy. He was only concerned about his well being and how he could become more powerful and richer.
- Plagues that stretched across Egypt such as the frogs, lice, storms, river turning into blood, and the spirit of God killing the first born of every household including the pharaohs was caused by the pharaoh himself and his stuberness and ignorance of not following Gods words and commands.
- While the Israelites were traveling through the dessert. A man Amelik watched them until they had a weak spot and attacked them with his Bandent of people. Unexpectedly the Israelites overthrowed him and his people. Even though they won thousands of Israelites died.
Book Review
This is one of the most excellent Egyptian story's I have read yet. I have heard the story of Moses leading his people to freedom but I have never read it through the point of view of a family that was going through the traveling and the extreame environments. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning the history of Egypts slaves and the religion sense of God and Moses.