Moses, the Lifter of the Sky: A Novel Reading of Exodus 17:8–16 in Light of the Heliopolitan Cosmogony

Abstract

Exodus 17.8–16 contains a number of exegetical puzzles, including the placement of Moses upon an anonymous hill, the cryptic gesture of Moses, the gesture’s direct influence on the battle, the appearance of two assistants (i.e., Aaron and Hur), the function of מטה האלהים, the number of Moses’ raised hands, the name of the altar (i.e., יהוה נסי), and the depiction of Amalek as a perpetual enemy of YHWH and Israel. To account for these puzzles, scholars have searched for traditions that could have influenced the Israelite author when composing the text. Unlike previous attempts, this article approaches the text in light of the Egyptian Heliopolitan cosmogony. This methodology coherently accounts for almost all the elements that appear in the Amalek narrative.