The Exodus (from
Greek ἔξοδος
exodos, "going out") is the
founding, or
etiological,
myth of Israel; its message is that the
Israelites were delivered from slavery by
Yahweh and therefore belong to him through the
Mosaic covenant. It tells of the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt following the death of
Joseph, their departure under the leadership of
Moses, the revelations at
Sinai (including the Ten Commandments), and their wanderings in the wilderness up to the borders of
Canaan. The exodus story is told in the books of
Exodus,
Leviticus,
Numbers and
Deuteronomy, and their overall intent was to demonstrate God's actions in history, to recall Israel's bondage and salvation, and to demonstrate the fulfillment of Israel's covenant.