Peter et al,
My inquiry is not into what *actually happened* as into what the text says happened. First, in Ex 12 tells that 600,000 left Egypt, laden with gold and silver goods, and herds, flocks, and *much cattle* (Ex 12:38). Of course ?cattle? can either include oxen or be made into oxen. So the text of Exodus tells us that the Israelites left Egypt with not just the eight oxen mentioned in Numbers but great herds of domesticated animals. Further, at least the cattle made it through the crossing of the Yam Suf as in Ex 17:3 the people cry out that there is no water for themselves or their cattle. So, it is reasonable to conclude that the oxen mentioned in Numbers were thought of as having made the trek from Goshen to Sinai and were not acquired along the way.
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Further, how did the Israelites acquire these many herds of domesticated animals, to say nothing of the silver and gold? As slaves they did not own any such quantities of animals, or much anything at all I suppose. In Ex 12:35-36 it states that the Israelites *borrowed* these from the Egyptians after Yahweh put some sort of spell on the Egyptians who then ?looked favorably? upon the Israelites and allowed them to take whatever they needed, include very valuable gold, silver, and cattle. The Israelites very possession of cattle is the result of a miracle just in and of it self.
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