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The Book of Exodus: A Biography
An essential biography of one of the Bible's most powerful and inspiring books
Exodus is the second book of the Hebrew Bible, but it may rank first in lasting cultural importance. It is here that the classic biblical themes of oppression and redemption, of human enslavement and divine salvation, are most dramatically expressed. Joel Baden tells the story of this influential and enduring book, tracing how its famous account of the Israelites' journey to the promised land has been adopted and adapted for millennia, often in unexpected ways.
Baden draws a distinction between the Exodus story and the book itself, which is one of the most multifaceted in the Bible, containing poems, law codes, rituals, and architectural plans. He shows how Exodus brings together an array of oral and written traditions from the ancient Middle East, and how it came to be ritualized in the Passover Seder and the Eucharist. Highlighting the remarkable resilience and flexibility of Exodus, Baden sheds light on how the bestowing of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai divided Jewish and Christian thinkers, on the importance of Exodus during the Reformation and the American Revolution, and on its uses in debates for and against slavery. He also traces how the defining narrative of ancient Israel helped to define Mormon social identity, the American civil rights movement, and liberation theology.
Though three thousand years old, the Exodus—as history, as narrative, as metaphor, as model—continues to be vitally important for us today. Here is the essential biography of this incomparable spiritual masterpiece.
Exodus is the second book of the Hebrew Bible, but it may rank first in lasting cultural importance. It is here that the classic biblical themes of oppression and redemption, of human enslavement and divine salvation, are most dramatically expressed. Joel Baden tells the story of this influential and enduring book, tracing how its famous account of the Israelites' journey to the promised land has been adopted and adapted for millennia, often in unexpected ways.
Baden draws a distinction between the Exodus story and the book itself, which is one of the most multifaceted in the Bible, containing poems, law codes, rituals, and architectural plans. He shows how Exodus brings together an array of oral and written traditions from the ancient Middle East, and how it came to be ritualized in the Passover Seder and the Eucharist. Highlighting the remarkable resilience and flexibility of Exodus, Baden sheds light on how the bestowing of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai divided Jewish and Christian thinkers, on the importance of Exodus during the Reformation and the American Revolution, and on its uses in debates for and against slavery. He also traces how the defining narrative of ancient Israel helped to define Mormon social identity, the American civil rights movement, and liberation theology.
Though three thousand years old, the Exodus—as history, as narrative, as metaphor, as model—continues to be vitally important for us today. Here is the essential biography of this incomparable spiritual masterpiece.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published April 30, 2019
12 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Joel S. Baden
16 books14 followersJoel S. Baden is professor of Hebrew Bible at Yale Divinity School. He is the coauthor, with Candida R. Moss, of Bible Nation: The United States of Hobby Lobby and Reconceiving Infertility: Biblical Perspectives on Procreation and Childlessness (both Princeton). He lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 5, 2024
Well-written, carefully researched, and honest. I do not agree with all of the author’s conclusions, but I admire the accomplishment this high-level look at “the life of Exodus.” It would have benefitted from a more sustained development of the Old Testament prophets’ use of Exodus themes in prophesying about Israel’s return from Exile. Also, a dedicated concluding chapter would have been fitting. I learned a lot!
June 8, 2019
It's easy to overlook the mammoth footprint the Book of Exodus has left upon the planet, particularly when examined alongside the gospels and other books in the Old and New Testament. As Joel S. Baden presents in this fantastic text—easily the best book I have ever read on religious studies—the creation, life, and legacy of the Book of Exodus is a story more than deserving its own biography.
'The Book of Exodus: A Biography,' a part of Princeton's Lives of Great Religious Books series, provides a thoroughly engaging and exhaustive history on the most influential work of the Torah and Old Testament. It was remarkable to see how much history Baden was able to condense into such a relatively compact book, which is wonderfully categorized in ways that make its otherwise eclectic subject easily digestible. I was particularly taken by the book's attention to the Book of Exodus and US history, law, social formation, and communal identity. While reading it, I though the role of Exodus in the abolition movement deserved its own chapter. Sure enough, the next chapter in the book was titled "Exodus and Civil Rights." I can't remind the last time I read a history so logically codified that it seemed to answer my own questions the moment they came to me.
I cannot recommend this book more highly. It is a brilliant history and valuable addition to any class on religious studies. I also highly recommend it to any Christian readers so that they may better understand and appreciate the history behind the Bible. I am already looking forward to reading more books from Princeton's Lives of Great Religious Books series, to which I am grateful for Joel S. Baden's brilliant history on Exodus.
Five stars. Buy several copies. (You'll want to share this with your friends.)
'The Book of Exodus: A Biography,' a part of Princeton's Lives of Great Religious Books series, provides a thoroughly engaging and exhaustive history on the most influential work of the Torah and Old Testament. It was remarkable to see how much history Baden was able to condense into such a relatively compact book, which is wonderfully categorized in ways that make its otherwise eclectic subject easily digestible. I was particularly taken by the book's attention to the Book of Exodus and US history, law, social formation, and communal identity. While reading it, I though the role of Exodus in the abolition movement deserved its own chapter. Sure enough, the next chapter in the book was titled "Exodus and Civil Rights." I can't remind the last time I read a history so logically codified that it seemed to answer my own questions the moment they came to me.
I cannot recommend this book more highly. It is a brilliant history and valuable addition to any class on religious studies. I also highly recommend it to any Christian readers so that they may better understand and appreciate the history behind the Bible. I am already looking forward to reading more books from Princeton's Lives of Great Religious Books series, to which I am grateful for Joel S. Baden's brilliant history on Exodus.
Five stars. Buy several copies. (You'll want to share this with your friends.)
October 1, 2025
Joel S. Baden delivers a thoughtful and well-researched account of how the Book of Exodus has been interpreted and reimagined across centuries. From its role in Jewish and Christian traditions to its influence on art, politics, and social justice movements, Baden demonstrates how Exodus has remained a living text that speaks to different eras in different ways.
The writing is clear and engaging, balancing scholarly depth with accessibility for general readers. While certain sections lean heavily on academic discussion, the broader narrative successfully shows why Exodus continues to resonate as both scripture and cultural symbol.
An insightful addition to the Lives of Great Religious Books series.
The writing is clear and engaging, balancing scholarly depth with accessibility for general readers. While certain sections lean heavily on academic discussion, the broader narrative successfully shows why Exodus continues to resonate as both scripture and cultural symbol.
An insightful addition to the Lives of Great Religious Books series.
March 18, 2020
Although this book sounds totally nerdish and dull, I found it to be quite interesting. I’m sure it took me much longer to read it than it would take my retired minister husband to read it, but I didn’t mind the time, thought, and effort I had to put into it because I learned a lot. If you are interested in religious history and how it plays a role through time, even up to today, you, too, might actually enjoy this book.
March 28, 2020
This is a fascinating exploration of how the Book of Exodus came to be and what effect it has had on such areas as ritual in Judaism and Christianity, the rise of social movements including the birth of the formation and near fracturing of the USA, the Civil rights movement and liberation theology. The author is a scholar but his writing is always moored in the real world.
May 15, 2020
The history of the Exodus story is fascinating and seemingly central to Western culture. This is an important read for anyone attempting to understand the motivations of the Western world over the past few millennia. A great introduction to the topic for beginners like me.
July 21, 2019
Outstanding treatment of the Book of Exodus, its composition, its meaning to Jews and Christians, and the use to which it has been put in historical context.
January 16, 2023
read it for school so I don’t have an opinion on it 🫶🏼
October 6, 2023
Enjoyable read. I especially liked the first half that showed how exodus affected Jewish and Christian thought. The second half, about how different movements and ideologies have used Exodus, was good but I felt could have covered a wider range.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews