Egypt as a Place of Refuge

Egypt as a Place of Refuge Synopsis

The Old Testament often presents Egypt as a place of bondage, but the picture is not monolithic. Upon closer examination, one can argue that many biblical figures flee to Egypt as a place of refuge. Garrett Galvin examines biblical texts from a number of different time periods (1 Kgs 11:14-12:24; Jeremiah 46; Matt 2:13-15, 19-21) in order to highlight the importance of literary genre for understanding the phenomenon of Egypt as a place of refuge in the Old Testament. For his study of Egypt the author focuses on the broad sweep of ancient Near Eastern history through literary, historical, and textual criticism of selected texts. His aim in doing so is to draw the reader's attention to the complexity of Egypt in the Bible and to help understanding the situation of refugees in the Bible. He also highlights the evolving relationship between Israel and Egypt as well as the influence of the ancient Near East on Israel.