Season 1: Baby Moses in a Basket (Adapting Exodus)

The genocide of the Israelite infants and the escape of baby Moses in a basket is one of the most iconic stories in the entire Bible. And yet the actual biblical narrative leaves us with many questions. Why did the Egyptians escalate from oppressing Israel with slavery to committing outright genocide? Did the Israelites accept this state of affairs passively or were there some who resisted? How did Moses' parents initially avoid the genocide and what forced them to stop hiding and send Moses away in a basket? These questions provide fertile soil out of which interesting and innovative adaptive choices can emerge.

Gustave Doré, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Below I provide an overview of episodes 1-3 of season 1 of my theoretical adaptation of Exodus. Episode 1 begins with Israel & Moses' parents under oppression and Episode 3 concludes with Pharaoh's daughter taking Moses as her own. If you haven't already read the recent post in which I outlined the major players that would be involved in the first season, I suggest doing so for more context. I refer to invented characters below by their role (e.g. the Appeaser) rather than by a name for the sake of clarity.

Dramatis Personae

• Pharaoh - King of Egypt, oppressor of Israel

• The Magician - Pharaoh's wiseman advisor; an Egyptian sorcerer

• The Task Master - The Egyptian in charge of the slave force

• The Prince - Pharaoh's son; the future Pharaoh during the Exodus

• The Princess - Pharaoh's daughter; adopts Moses as her son

• Foreign Nation - an (invented) enemy of Egypt that is seeking to incite Israel to rebel

• Amram & Jochebad - Moses' parents

• Aaron & Miriam - Moses' siblings

• The Appeaser - the chief Israelite elder; collaborates with Egypt in order to maintain his own power

• The Rebel - an Israelite leader who wants to join the Foreign Nation & lead a rebellion against Egypt

• The Midwives - 'nough said

• Hur - a young Israelite preacher

Exodus Season 1 Episodes 1-3

Notes on the Outline

• The three main columns correspond to the events/storyline of: 1) Pharaoh's Egyptian Court, 2) the Israelites, especially the Council of Elders, and 3) The Line of Moses (currently, his father, Amram, & his mother, Jochebad.

• The three main rows correspond to a general division of the episode into three acts. The precise order of events is indicated by how each event in the act is numbered. This order does not always proceed from left to right.