ACROSS THE RED SEA - The Old Testament ep. 19 - EN

The great caravan of the sons of Israel travels the road indicated by the Lord. By day they are hidden in a cloud of dust, and by night, encircled in a column of fire. When the Pharaoh is told that the Israelites have left, he realizes that he has forever lost a source of great wealth. At the head of an army of chariots and horsemen he sets out determined once more to capture and enslave the Jews. Meanwhile, the Jews are convinced they are safe, but find their way blocked by the Red Sea. They then realize that the Pharaoh's army is in pursuit, and grow afraid. "And so the Lord told Moses: lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea...”. Moses obeys the Lord and the sea divides allowing the Jews to safely cross along a stretch of dry land, while the water is held back by walls on both sides. The Pharaoh’s chariots arrive on the shore, and head down into the dry corridor in pursuit of the fugitives. When all the Jews have reached the other side, the sea closes over the pursuers, who are then swept away. Safe on the other side of the Red Sea, the people of Israel celebrate their newfound freedom with songs of the Lord. Moses orders the Israelites to make camp, and leads them into the wilderness of Shur. They next walk for three days without finding a drop of water. When they reach Marah they can't drink the water because it is salt. The people begin to complain. Moses invokes the name of the Lord, and the Lord tells him to throw a branch into the water. He does so and immediately it becomes drinkable. By the time they reach Elim, they have nothing left to eat. The Lord listens to their complaints and sends them an infinite number of quail, as meat, and a large quantity of manna that rains down from the sky, as bread. However, the complaints do not cease… Moses leads the Israelites deeper into the desert, and the lack of water becomes an ever-greater hazard. But the Lord does not abandon His people. He tells Moses to strike the living rock with his rod, and water gushes forth in great abundance. The native people of Amalek wage war against the Israelites and attempt to stop the gigantic caravan encroaching on their lands. Moses calls Joshua and orders him to attack Amalek's army. Now, almost one hundred years old, the patriarch climbs the hill that overlooks the battlefield and prays to the Lord. When Moses raises his arms towards the Heavens, the tide of battle turns in favor of the Israelites. However, when he tires and lowers his arms, Amalek gains then the upper hand. Aaron and other men run to Moses' side and help him to keep his arms raised to Heaven. And so it is that Joshua defeats Amalek. In order to show his gratitude to the Lord, Moses has an altar built on the site and calls it: "The Lord is my banner”.

"In the beginning"... with these words the Bible begins the story of the great mystery of the origins of time, existence and the h­istory of the Universe. It also contains the proclamation of the Word of God, invisible and omnipotent, creator of heaven and earth, who turns once more to his people with the promise of the salvation which man has awaited since the moment of his creation and of his first sin...This is the subject of the "most widely-read book in the world" from which, in thirty-nine episodes, we evoke characters and events so that young people of the new generations can appreciate the richness of this great treasure.