How Would Pharaoh Read the Haggadah? with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman (284)

About this episode

Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman discusses how the Haggadah can be understood through the lens of ancient Egypt and its political assumptions.

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/ - and paid subscribers get this and other episodes of the Orthodox Conundrum Podcast ad-free and with early access and additional bonus content! What if the story we tell at the Seder was originally speaking directly to the world of Pharaoh? In this episode of the Orthodox Conundrum Podcast, Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman of Bar Ilan University joins me to discuss his fascinating new Haggadah, Echoes of Egypt . Drawing on discoveries from Egyptology and the broader study of the ancient Near East, Rabbi Berman shows how the Torah often takes the language, imagery, and political assumptions of ancient Egypt and turns them on their head. Seen in this light, familiar phrases in the Haggadah take on new meaning. The Exodus becomes not only a story of liberation, but a profound challenge to the worldview of the ancient world, replacing the glorification of kings and power with a revolutionary vision of God, freedom, and the dignity of ordinary people. If you want to experience the story of the Exodus with fresh eyes this Pesach, this conversation may change the way…

People in this episode

Host: Scott Kahn

Guest: Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman

Topics covered

• Haggadah
• Exodus
• Egyptology
• Judaism
• Seder
• Pharaoh

Keywords

• Haggadah
• Exodus
• Pharaoh
• Judaism
• Egyptology
• Seder
• Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bar Ilan University, Orthodox Conundrum Commentary, Women's Gallery Podcast, Intimate Judaism

Books & works: Echoes of Egypt

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