• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

WERE THERE EGYPTIANS AMONG THE ISRAELITES OF THE EXODUS (continued)

September 28, 2018 By Howard Kramer 7 Comments

The Departure of the Israelites

The Departure of the Israelites by David Roberts (wikipedia.com)

Akhenaten was one of Egypt’s greatest and most controversial pharaohs.  During his reign he established, among other things, a monotheistic religion around the deity Aten, pushing all other Egyptian deities out of public life.  It has been suggested that Akhenaten was strongly influenced by the ideas of the Hebrew slaves, and that the deity Aten (a sun god) may have been the Egyptian incarnation of the Israelite deity Yahweh.

The Egyptian people were forced to take up the exclusive worship of Aten, and while most did so unwillingly, there were many who did so enthusiastically in their bid to ingratiate themselves to the pharaoh.  But sometime around 1335 BC, Akhenaten died, and the worship of Aten died with him.

But religious beliefs don’t disappear overnight, and many stalwart worshipers of Aten survived Akhenaten’s death.  Interestingly, right around the time of his demise, Egypt was struck with several major natural disasters.  The followers of Aten were blamed, and worship of Aten was ruthlessly suppressed.  What happened to them?  In all likelihood they were enslaved and relocated to Northern Egypt.

That would have put them into close contact with the Hebrews, another monotheistic people.  It is not a stretch to think that thousands of Egyptians were absorbed into the Hebrew tribal structure at this time, thus swelling their numbers further.

The fact that there are some parallels between the natural disasters recorded by the Egyptians around this time and the plagues recorded in the Book of Exodus is not a coincidence.  The Hebrews claim that God punished the Egyptians for their enslavement, while the Egyptians claim that they were punished for the toleration of the monotheistic worshipers of Atep, and all around the same time.

Of course, besides the Hyksos and followers of Akhenaten, the Hebrew slave groups might have absorbed any number of other slave groups, invigorating them with new strength and fresh blood.  For that matter, many other slaves might simply have up and left with the Israelites when they were freed, joining the various tribal groups as the situation allowed.

So, when the Exodus finally took place, it was almost certainly a mass mix of peoples, absorbed into and organized by the Israelite tribes over centuries, that began the slow march across the Sinai desert.  The idea is certainly not impossible, and at any rate was not a violation of either the traditions of the time or of Mosaic law, which did not yet exist.

Click here for previous page

Filed Under: Random Ramblings

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Comments

  1. Sylvia says

    April 11, 2021 at 4:57 am

    Exodus 12:37-38,48-49

    Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. A m i x e d m u l t i t u d e w e n t u p w i t h t h e m also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock.

    And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”

    Reply
    • Howard Kramer says

      September 12, 2021 at 9:03 pm

      Well quoted

    • Stephanie Wojtowicz says

      December 30, 2021 at 7:12 pm

      I was just reading this today, at the end of 2021! My thoughts went in the same direction regarding mixed cultural people who were drawn to the worship of the God of Israel. 🌟 Happy New Year!

    • Howard Kramer says

      July 31, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      Happy belated New Year to you too!

  2. Shellie Moore says

    June 17, 2020 at 10:15 am

    I love the idea of the Mixed Multitude- that there were Gentiles who willingly aligned themselves with God’s People and went out with them and were included in the congregation- maybe only in the outer court but still welcome. As I read about the History of Israel I love the stories of those who became accepted in the beloved, who were blessed because they blessed Israel- stories like Ruth and Rahab and Jael. Even the Gibeonites who became hewers of wood and carriers of water in service to the Altar of God. Thanks for this article.

    Reply
    • Howard Kramer says

      July 17, 2020 at 10:35 am

      Thanks you for the encouraging feedback!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.