There seems to be some variation in the exodus tradition regarding when the Israelites left Egypt. As we saw in the previous entry (#114), in the Elohist tradition although the Israelites were commanded to stay in their houses “until morning” it does seem that they nevertheless leave Egypt during that very evening. But this is certainly not clear from the text (Ex 12:31-34). They could have left in the morning, thereby remaining in their houses “until morning.”
Exodus 13:4 is no more clear: “Today you are going out from Egypt, in the month of Abib.” Yet the tradition recorded in Numbers 33:3 is quite clear on this matter: “And they traveled from Rameses in the first month on the 15th day of the first month. On the day after the Passover. the children of Israel went out with a high hand before the eyes of all Egypt.” This tradition relates that it was the day after the Passover, that is the morning of the 15th.
That said, Deuteronomy is also clear, except now it’s the evening of the Passover that the Israelites leave: “Yahweh your god brought you out of Egypt at night” (Deut 16:1).
Deuteronomy 16:6 is even more specific about the time of the exodus from Egypt, and it clashes starkly with the statements in Exodus 12:29 ff:
It’s hard to reconcile the early-morning forced exit of Exodus, in which the bread didn’t even have enough time to rise before the Israelites left, with Deuteronomy’s sunset departure time.
Dr. DiMattei,
Just as the Sabbath is observed from Friday evening through Saturday evening. Wouldn’t the day after Passover be an evening?
Shawn, since the later Priestly literature specifies that the pascal sacrifice is on the 14th and the meal the eve of the 14th (Ex 12:1-6; Lev 23:5; Num 28:16), then the next day (the 15th) is either—and seemingly there is confusion in the biblical literature—the later part of that evening or more so the following day. Milgrom, in his Anchor Bible commentary (Leviticus Vol. 3, p. 1967), whom I am following here, states that there is some confusion in the biblical literature itself concerning how the day was measured, from evening to evening or morning to next morning. Milgrom seems to be arguing that it was later rabbinic traditions, rather than the Bible that popularized evening to evening. For example, he quotes Ex 12:18 “In the first month, from the 14th of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the 21st day of the month at evening.” And he rationalizes that “in the evening” wouldn’t need to be stressed if the day began in the evening. I’m not all to convinced of this rational. He also references Genesis’ refrain “And there was evening and there was morning, day” to argue that the day commences as does God’s creative act, on the following morning. Again, I’m not sure how convinced I am, and in the lunar calendar system the 1st of the month starts, I believe, at the sighting of the full moon in the evening. I leave it to greater minds to sort this out.
Specifically, however, it seems that your real question is whether there is actually a difference between those texts that say the Israelites left in the evening and those that claim the morning. I would have to say yes there is, but this could also reflect either variations in the oral tradition or again confusion or ambiguity concerning when the day started. Num 33:3 is usually cited as one of those texts claiming the day, i.e., in the morning. “And they traveled from Rameses in the first month on the 15th day of the 1st month. On the day after the Passover…” Since the Passover was the 14th, this text claims they left on the 15th. This certainly contradicts the traditions claiming it was the evening, i.e., the evening of Passover—e.g., Deut 16:6: “there you shall make the Passover sacrifice in the evening at sunset (i.e., on the 14th), the time when you went out from Egypt. The Deuteronomic tradition seems to be even more clear, as John noted above, since the Elohist tradition claimed, “in the middle of the night” which might go either way, the 14th or 15th.
Dr. DiMattei,
Thanks for expounding. I have not taken the time to mentally go over the timeline(s). But that possible rationalization popped into my head. I do think however that labeling the contradiction: On Passover/After would be more definitive.
Hi, love your site. It is well laid out and concise. I included it in our newsletter this month.
I thought I would send a link to you for our research. The restored verses of the first two chapters in Genesis might be of interest to you. I’ve attached a link to our research notes to give you an overview of what we have uncovered. I hope it may be of use to you.
Thank you once again for your research.
(our overview research notes)
http://thechronicleproject.org/PDF1/researchnotesmaster.pdf
(our website)
thechronicleproject.org
Chris
There is no controversy here as the “morning” settles the question. The Evening in Deuteronomy could not be Passover evening as they were commanded to remain in their homes with their “Loins Girded” ready to flee. The two possible night is settled by the Verse in Numbers 33:3’s Morning… So the next day was the 15th even if they didn’t manage to “Get out of Dodge” until after nightfall on the 15th. The question for Me as a Morning to Morning Shavvath Keeper is settled here. The Ambiguity is also of God and is because He want the Jews to begin the Shavvaths in the evenings and the reasons are many, varied and critical.