A seminar course that explores the core events of the book of Exodus and its development as a major theme in the Old Testament in relation to Egyptian and Near Eastern historical texts and warfare tactics of the ancient world. Careful attention will be paid to the exegesis of the biblical texts and Egyptian documents before comparisons are made with cultural, political, and historical events in Egypt and Canaan from an archaeological perspective. The course will make heavy use of the primary source materials in the William G. Dever Research Library.