New Books Network Joshua Berman, "Echoes of Egypt: A Haggada" (Koren, 2026)
Mar 9, 2026
Joshua Berman, professor of Tanakh at Bar-Ilan University and author, presents a visually rich Haggada rooted in Egyptology. He recounts trips to Egypt, explains why an Egypt-themed Haggada matters, and explores parallels between Egyptian royal imagery and biblical texts. He also unpacks the plague pattern and links ancient archaeology to liturgical storytelling.
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Personal Egypt Journey That Sparked The Haggadah
- Joshua Berman visited Egypt during COVID with Egyptologist James K. Hoffmeier and found the landscape and archaeology vividly connected to biblical texts.
- He led subsequent trips and decided to 'bring Egypt to the Jews' by creating a visually driven Haggadah linking Egyptian material culture to Exodus.
Wearing A Kippah In Egypt On A Scholarly Tour
- Berman described wearing his kippah in Egypt and having unexpected but positive interactions while on a mixed religious scholarly tour.
- He emphasized Egypt's exceptional preservation makes biblical scenes visually immediate compared with Israel's more imagistic archaeology.
Use Targeted Visuals To Illuminate Ancient Texts
- Create liturgical materials that pair scholarship and imagery to make ancient texts resonate for modern audiences.
- Berman used oversized, purposeful images (not pyramids) to illustrate textual connections and polemics with Egyptian culture.
