Exodus (Hebrew יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, Yetsi'at Mitzrayim, Y'ṣiʾath Miṣrayim, / jəʦiˈɑt miʦˈrajɪm / (in modern pronunciation) “exit from Egypt”) is a biblical tradition about the enslavement of the Jews (Israelites) in Egypt, their mass exodus by the will of God from Egypt under the leadership of Moses, theophany at Mount Sinai (Horeb), the conclusion of a covenant between God and the chosen people, as well as the wanderings of the Jews before the conquest of Canaan. Set out in the Pentateuch (mainly Exodus chapters 1-15).
The tradition of the Exodus is the foundation of Judaism. The exodus is mentioned by the Jews in daily prayers and is celebrated annually on the holiday of Passover. In Christianity, tradition has influenced the theology of several movements. Early Protestants turned to the tradition of the exodus, fleeing persecution by Catholics and others in Europe. Abolitionists and civil rights activists in the United States cited the exodus as a prototype for freeing blacks from s
