Episode Description: In this episode of The Scholar’s Bible, we turn to Exodus 1:8–22, where a new king arises over Egypt who 'did not know Joseph.' This moment marks the turning of Israel’s fortunes — from prosperity to persecution — and the beginning of the Exodus story proper. Drawing from archaeology, Egyptian history, and the literary and theological texture of the biblical text, we explore the historical imagination of the Judean scribes who composed Exodus, situating their narrative within the imperial memory of the Ramesside golden age. From the bureaucracy of oppression to the courage of the midwives Shiphrah and Puah, this episode examines the psychology of tyranny, the resilience of faith, and the subversive wisdom of those who resist evil.

In This Episode

• Explore the historical setting of Exodus in the age of Rameses II — and why this matters for understanding the narrative’s meaning.

• Discover how Egypt’s long domination of Canaan shaped Israelite and Judean memory and inspired the Exodus story.

• Learn why the 'new king who did not know Joseph' signals a seismic shift in Israel’s narrative history.

• Unpack the structure of Exodus 1, from the king’s private plotting to his public decree — and how evil escalates when wisdom fails.

• Examine the Egyptian concept of Maʿat (truth, justice, order) and how Pharaoh’s cruelty represents a collapse of this divine ideal.

• Consider the difference between forced labour and slavery in the ancient Near East, and how the Israelites’ corvée becomes a symbol of oppression.

• Meet Shiphrah and Puah, the midwives whose fear of God and act of righteous deception frustrate Pharaoh’s genocidal scheme.

• Explore how translation nuances — such as 'dealing wisely' vs. 'dealing shrewdly' — change the moral and theological tone of the story.

• Reflect on how ancient injustice and modern xenophobia echo each other in the king’s fear of “the other within.”

• See how Exodus sets the stage for the great contest between the wisdom of power and the power of God.