The basket floats. The baby cries. And we call that the beginning.
But what if Exodus began with a dying patriarch, a fractured house, and a whispered promise?
Beyond the Basket: The Exodus Begins Long Before Moses
In most tellings, Exodus begins in Egypt’s river reeds—with an infant in a basket, a daughter of Pharaoh, and the rising tension of captivity. But *The Moses Chronicles: Prelude* doesn’t start there. It begins in a tent. With a father’s final breath. With sons summoned to hear what cannot be unsaid. With legacy, regret, and prophecy spoken aloud.
This moment—Jacob blessing his sons—is not a footnote. It’s the foundation. Long before the oppression, before the miracles and plagues, Israel gave his final words to his sons. Words that reshaped the family tree and foreshadowed the lines through which the nation would rise. If you love biblical fiction rooted in Scripture’s silences, then this scene isn’t the prelude—it’s the ignition.
The Blessing Before the Bondage
When Jacob blesses his sons, he does not comfort. He cuts. He warns Reuben. He scatters Simeon and Levi. He anoints Judah. He gives Joseph a double portion—not through extra land or gold, but by raising Ephraim and Manasseh as full sons of Israel. That move alone—two Egyptian-born boys standing in place of their uncles—shifts the tribal balance forever. It is the first major reordering since the covenant with Abraham.
“The Hebrews are not yet oppressed… The author wisely focuses on what could have actually happened in Pharaoh’s palace… setting a strong foundation for the deeper drama to come.” — Neil Mammen
This is what *Prelude* dares to imagine: What happened before the Pharaoh “who knew not Joseph”? What fears lingered between the tribes? What resentment grew as Joseph’s sons were exalted and Dinah remained invisible? What blessings did Israel speak not out of pride—but out of painful, clear-eyed love?
A Scene That Shifts the Story
Joseph swallowed hard, gripping his father’s frail hands. All the years of suffering, the betrayal, the pain—it had all led to this moment.
And then, Israel’s gaze shifted to Ephraim and Manasseh.
Joseph’s sons, no longer boys, but young men—young men who now stood as equals among their uncles.
Israel lifted a trembling hand, motioning for them to step forward.
“Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.”
A shift. A change in inheritance.
Reuben flinched, but he did not protest. He knew. Bilhah—his place was lost.
“The blessings of your fathers shall surpass the blessings of the ancient mountains. The God of your father shall help you, and He shall bless you with blessings of the heavens above.”
It was done.
Ephraim and Manasseh had been fully counted among the tribes of Israel. Joseph had been given a double portion.
No one spoke. No one argued.
Israel exhaled, his body sinking into the linens. Slowly, he drew his feet up into the bed, his hands falling still upon his chest.
A single breath.
And then, he was gone.
The Exodus Didn’t Begin With Egypt
It began in a family.
In a blessing.
In the fracture between brothers.
In the moment where the firstborn was passed over, and two foreigners were adopted into destiny.
What *The Moses Chronicles* reveals is that Exodus is not just about deliverance from slavery. It is about the weight of inheritance. It is about the quiet decisions of a dying father that ripple across centuries. It is about faith being passed—not by bloodline alone—but by blessing.
If you’ve ever asked how we got from Joseph’s prosperity to Moses’ danger… the answer is in *Prelude*.
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About the Author
RR Wekesa is a Christian historical fiction author writing faith-rich novels that follow the ancient paths of Scripture, weaving sacred silence and poetic rhythm into every chapter of The Moses Chronicles.