: Assmann suggests that the Exodus narrative gained its most crucial meaning during the Babylonian exile. In this context, the story of liberation from Egyptian bondage served as a powerful marker of identity for returning exiles, framing their experience through themes of election and covenant. Broader Impact and Transformations

: Assmann traces the enduring influence of the Exodus themes in modern culture, from the works of Thomas Mann and Arnold Schoenberg to Sigmund Freud’s interpretations of Moses.

For further reading, you can access scholarly papers and digitized versions of these works on platforms like the Internet Archive and ResearchGate .