"The series of events leading up to the formation of the biblical community and its religion apparently began unexpectedly. Moses killed an Egyptian overseer who was beating one of the slaves. It is difficult to imagine this being a fictional invention, especially since the biblical writers never chose to comment on this noteworthy aspect of the protagonistās dark past. When Moses later tried to intervene between two quarreling slaves, one of them responded, āWho made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?ā (Exodus 2:11-15). Is the monopoly of force ā the ability to coerce other human beings ā truly the ultimate basis of social authority? If it seems undesirable to ground social authority on something that essentially boils down to the superior ability to commit murder, then what is the alternative?"
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George E. Mendenhall
George Emery Mendenhall (born August 13, 1916 – August 5, 2016) was an author and Professor Emeritus at the University of Michiganās Department of Near Eastern Studies.
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