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April 3, 2009
Why does Pharaoh reneg?
Even then, there were different groups lobbying government.
EUGENE KAELLIS
The Passover story is, of course, based on the Book of Exodus. It offers a highly Judeo-centric view of the presumed events that, if one is searching for historical accuracy or at least plausibility, has to be tempered with what relatively little is known about that period in Middle Eastern history. Then, it should be subjected to an historical evaluation to place the presumed facts in a credible context.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Passover story is in Exodus 1:8: "Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph." This is probably a deliberately vague reference to what followed the departure of the Hyksos, known as "the shepherd kings"; like the Hebrews, a Semitic and monotheistic people, who had at some earlier period overrun Egypt and ruled there for a significant length of time. While it is probably correct to describe the Hebrews at that point as at least nominally monotheistic, it took a much longer period and ongoing struggle, as the story of Moses shows, for monotheism to become a permanent fixture of Judaism, with recurrent episodes of backsliding.
The struggle to depart from Egypt put the Hebrews, living largely in the Goshen area, close to the Nile Delta, in a difficult position. The Egyptians and their reinstated pharaonic line, felt that the Hebrews, still viewed as ethnically distinct and politically oppositionist, were too numerous and took steps against them, including the alleged mandated killing of newborn sons, a task assigned to midwives.
This circumstance, i.e., the reversion to the rule of pharaohs after the departure of the Hyksos, also accounts for the repeated reneging of Pharaoh when, according to Exodus, he submits to Moses' urgings and warnings and 10 times agrees to let the Hebrews go, but 10 times changes his mind. What would have caused these changes of mind? One must assume that they are not the manifestations of a highly unstable personality, not when there are other, more logical and historically valid assumptions.
Consider the major elements in the power structure of Egypt, in which Pharaoh sat at the pinnacle but had, of course, to be responsive to major elements in the hierarchy of Egyptian society.
There was the priestly class, happy to be back in their pre-Hyksos position, able once more to elevate their pantheon of gods, including the reigning Pharaoh, and re-attend to their main mortuarial tasks. They were fearful of the resurrection of monotheism, something they had briefly and very unhappily experienced during the reign of the frantic and decisive monotheist, Ikhnaton (Amenhotep IV). And they would undoubtedly have urged the release of the Hebrews to get rid of a significant population of "religious subversives," as they would have seen them. Even to this day, living Kohanim are not permitted entry to Jewish cemeteries, almost certainly a reaction against the Egyptian cult of the dead.
The Egyptian army generals, however, would have feared that letting the Hebrews go would put enemies into the possible service of Egypt's rivals to the north, the Assyrians-Babylonians, who might rely on the Hebrews' desire for revenge, if not for manpower in their armies – at least to provide intelligence for an attack on Egypt.
The Egyptian building contractors would, on the other hand, have wanted to retain a source of cheap labor in Egypt and would, therefore, have opposed the freeing of the Hebrews.
So, it appears that Pharaoh, perhaps Rameses II or his successor, Merneptah, was indecisive and repeatedly reneged because he was subjected to conflicting pressures by the different court factions, each of which could make a convincing case.
Other powerful rulers in history have also been described as indecisive, invariably agreeing with the last person who lobbied them.
The events of Exodus become more, not less, acceptable and meaningful when they can be seen as historically valid, even when expressed in the Judeo-centric mode of the authors.
Eugene Kaellis is a retired academic and writer living in New Westminster.
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