Topical Bible: Egypt: Inhabitants of Abhorred the Sacrifice of Oxen

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In the biblical narrative, Egypt holds a significant place as a land of both refuge and oppression for the Israelites. One of the notable cultural and religious distinctions between the Egyptians and the Israelites was the Egyptian abhorrence of the sacrifice of oxen, which is highlighted in the context of the Exodus account.

The aversion of the Egyptians to the sacrifice of oxen is explicitly mentioned in the book of Exodus. When Moses and Aaron requested Pharaoh to let the Israelites go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD, Pharaoh questioned why they could not perform their sacrifices within the land of Egypt. Moses responded, "It would not be right to do so, for the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is detestable in their sight, will they not stone us?" (Exodus 8:26). This passage indicates that the Egyptians held certain animals, particularly oxen, in high regard, possibly due to their religious beliefs and practices.

The cultural and religious context of ancient Egypt provides insight into this aversion. The Egyptians revered various animals as sacred, and the bull was particularly significant in their religious iconography. The Apis bull, for instance, was worshiped as a manifestation of the god Ptah and later associated with Osiris, the god of the afterlife. This veneration of the bull and other cattle likely contributed to the Egyptians' abhorrence of their sacrifice, as it would have been seen as a desecration of something sacred.

This cultural distinction underscores the broader theme of separation between the Israelites and the Egyptians, as God called His people to be set apart in their worship and practices. The Israelites' sacrificial system, which included the offering of oxen, was central to their covenant relationship with God, as outlined in the Mosaic Law. The Egyptians' disdain for such sacrifices further emphasized the distinct identity and religious practices of the Israelites.

The narrative of the Exodus, therefore, not only recounts the physical liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage but also highlights the spiritual and cultural separation that God intended for His people. The Egyptians' abhorrence of the sacrifice of oxen serves as a reminder of the distinctiveness of Israelite worship and the challenges they faced in maintaining their identity amidst a foreign culture.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 8:26
And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: see, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... of such caravans was considerable, for although Egypt had ceased ... could not drive
out the inhabitants of the ... misdeeds were such, that "men abhorred the offering ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
... the kings of the earth, with the inhabitants of the ... spirit of delusion has left them,
are abhorred, both skin ... was with the ponds and pools of Egypt, they will ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/of antichrist and his ruin .htm

A Discourse
... truth, yea, they so much the more by her are abhorred. ... in a forest, or wood, as the
inhabitants of the ... be taken off the backs of the brazen oxen, where Solomon ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse.htm