Song of the Sea

The Book of Joshua describes Israel waging a military campaign against Jericho and other southern cities. The Song of the Sea (Exodus 15), on the other hand, depicts Israel crossing the Jordan, and YHWH bringing them directly to a temple.

Miriam and the Israelite women echo briefly the famous Song of the Sea sung earlier in Exodus 15… or do they? A closer examination reveals a more prominent role for Miriam and provides information about women as musical performers using song, dance, and drums in ancient Israel.

A seemingly midrashic interpretation of the the verb נערמו neʿermu in the Song of the Sea finds support in a variant text of Deuteronomy 11:4, preserved both in the Kennicott Bible and the medieval commentator Ḥizquni, that  imagines the Reed Sea in purposive pursuit of the Egyptians.^[1]

The Torah implores us to remember and teach the exodus, yet surprisingly, some biblical passages seem unaware of this event and describe an alternative tradition: God found Israel in the wilderness.

The Evidence for the Levites Leaving Egypt and the Introduction of YHWH into Israel

The Song of the Sea begins with defeat of the Egyptians and ends with YHWH’s enthronement in His temple. Comparison with the Epic of Baal and Enuma Elish clarify the genre and purpose of such hymns, and a striking parallel with Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8 offers a clue to the original context of this ancient song.

Exploring ten aspects of the Song’s narrative and what they tell us about its origins.