the Ten Plagues and the devastation they wrought not only on the Egyptian economy but even more so on their religious beliefs and the prestige of their priesthood (Ex 10:7; 11:1-3; 12:12, 13); the Exodus of Israel following the death of all Egypt’s firstborn and then the destruction of the cream of Egypt’s military forces at the Red Sea (Ex 12:2-38; 14:1-28)​—all these things certainly would require some attempted explanation by the Egyptian official element.

It should never be forgotten that the recording of history in Egypt, as in many Middle Eastern lands, was inseparably connected with the priesthood, under whose tutelage the scribes were trained. It would be most unusual if some propagandistic explanation were not invented to account for the utter failure of the Egyptian gods to prevent the disaster Jehovah God brought upon Egypt and its people. History, even recent history, records many occasions when such propaganda so grossly perverted the facts that the oppressed were presented as the oppressors, and the innocent victims were presented as the dangerous and cruel aggressors. Manetho’s account (over a thousand years after the Exodus), if preserved with some degree of correctness by Josephus, may possibly represent the distorted traditions handed down by succeeding generations of Egyptians to account for the basic elements of the true account, in the Bible, concerning Israel in Egypt.​—See EXODUS (Authenticity of the Exodus Account).

Israel’s sojourn in Egypt was indelibly engraved on the nation’s memory, and their miraculous release from that land was regularly recalled as an outstanding proof of Jehovah’s Godship. (Ex 19:4; Le 22:32, 33; De 4:32-36; 2Ki 17:36; Heb 11:23-29) Thus the expression, “I am Jehovah your God from the land of Egypt.” (Ho 13:4; compare Le 11:45.) No single circumstance or event surpassed this until their release from Babylon gave them further proof of Jehovah’s power to deliver. (Jer 16:14, 15) Their experience in Egypt was written into the Law given them (Ex 20:2, 3; De 5:12-15); it was the basis for the Passover festival (Ex 12:1-27; De 16:1-3); it guided them in their dealings with alien residents (Ex 22:21; Le 19:33, 34) and with poor persons who sold themselves into bondage (Le 25:39-43, 55; De 15:12-15); it provided a legal basis for the selection and sanctification of the tribe of Levi for sanctuary service (Nu 3:11-13). On the basis of Israel’s alien residence in Egypt, Egyptians who met certain requirements could be accepted into the congregation of Israel. (De 23:7, 8) The kingdoms of Canaan and peoples of neighboring lands experienced awe and fear because of the reports they heard of God’s power demonstrated against Egypt, paving the way for Israel’s conquest (Ex 18:1, 10, 11; De 7:17-20; Jos 2:10, 11; 9:9) and being remembered for centuries thereafter. (1Sa 4:7, 8) Throughout their history, the whole nation of Israel sang about these events in their songs.​—Ps 78:43-51; Ps 105 and 106; 136:10-15.