dsic 449 Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire

BODY

BODY: PART I MONOTHEISM


[SHOW POWERPOINT SLIDE 2: LAND OF GOSHEN.]

About 1500 BC, the Pharaoh of Egypt allowed the Habiru -– mercenary warriors -- to settle in ‘the land of Goshen’ to act as a buffer between the Egyptians and any invading peoples from the East.

In 1352 BC, Akhenaten became Pharaoh.

[SHOW POWERPOINT 3: POSSIBLE PHARAOHS OF THE EXODUS.]

[MENTION MERNEPTAH STELE.]


[SHOW POWERPOINT SLIDE 4: PICTURE OF AKENATEN AND HIS WIFE NEFERTITI.]


Within a few years, Akhenaten converted from the traditional ancient Egyptian polytheistic religion to his conceived religion of only one God, i.e., Aten.

Technically, then, all of Egypt became monotheistic, but so many vested interests were threatened that the Habiru were called upon to serve as Akhenaten’s bodyguards. After Akhenaten’s death, Egypt –- but not the Habiru who were always aware of their separateness from Egyptian society -- quickly reverted to the ancient polytheistic religion.

NOTE: Akhenaten’s son, Tutankhamun (“Tut”) became the next Pharoah.


[SHOW POWERPOINT 5: HABIRU = HEBREW]


Feeling threatened, a subsequent Pharaoh conscripted (“conscript labor” is a better translation than is “slavery”) the Habiru to do forced labor.

[SHOW POWERPOINT 6: EXODUS 1:8 – 1:12.]

[SHOW POWERPOINT 7: SUPPLY CITIES PITHOM AND RAMESES.]

[TRANSITION] Eventually, the Habiru resolved to and did escape from Egypt and eventually settled in Canaan.