Hebrew’s View of God in Egypt
Question
I am trying to create a “profile” of the mindset of the Jewish people during their captivity in Egypt up to and including the appearance of Moses. Holy Scripture says that they prayed to God for deliverance from bondage, so they must have thought that God could deliver them in some way. But what did the Jews believe about God then, and what could He do? Did they only know Him through the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and Joseph? Did the Hebrews only know their stories and how God interacted with them, or was there an oral tradition passed down to a few, some, or all the people regarding the creation, flood, fall of humanity, etc?
Answers
The Jewish People in Egypt had a direct tradition passed down from generation to generation from Abraham, that God is with them and looking after them. They also had a direct tradition that God would redeem them from slavery when the time was right. However, they also were completely aware of everything that appears in the Torah until their era. This includes the Creation, the Flood, the stories of Noah, the Patriarchs and the descent into Egypt.
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