Friday, November 23, 2018

bo - How isolated was Israel in Goshen?


We know that Israel was still in Goshen during their enslavement, because the text tells us that the plague of hail didn't affect Goshen "where b'nai Yisrael were" (Shemot 9:26). It sounds like they are still living apart from the Egyptians, else some Egyptians would have been spared by the hail (if they lived in Goshen too) or some of Israel would have been affected (if they lived outside of Goshen).


Right before the exodus, God instructs the people to borrow silver and gold from their neighbors (Shemot 11:1-3). "Neighbors" sounds like people who live nearby. In chapter 12 the Egyptians urge them to leave quickly, and that's when the borrowing occurs.


How isolated or how intermingled were Israel and the Egyptians at the time of the exodus? Did Israel have Egyptian neighbors, or did they actually borrow silver and gold from random Egyptians they encountered on the way out that night?




No comments:

Post a Comment

periodic trends - Comparing radii in lithium, beryllium, magnesium, aluminium and sodium ions

Apparently the of last four, $\ce{Mg^2+}$ is closest in radius to $\ce{Li+}$. Is this true, and if so, why would a whole larger shell ($\ce{...