Egypt without Slavery: Tracing the Tradition of Israel's Residence in Egypt

The narrative of the people’s redemption from Egyptian oppression plays a central role in the Hebrew bible in numerous books, genres and literary sources. Among these biblical references some occurrences lack a central element of the familiar story—the peoples’ slavery. This article discusses the narrative of the Israelites’ experience in Egypt as presented in the idiosyncratic review of Israel’s chronicle in Ezekiel 20 and as implied by other references in the biblical laws, narratives and prophecies. It argues for a gradual evolution of the narrative of the Egyptian slavery and oppression, and thus of the redemption of Israel.