In teaching this material the other day I was also left with another question: Exactly how important is the account of the giving of the Ten Commandments in the narrative of the Torah? In the DeMille movie, it is the climax of the Moses narrative. If you didn’t have such a preconception, though, would it really seem all that important or would it seem “flatter,” just one of the Torah’s many stories and law collections? I’m still pondering that one.Good question.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.