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Number of Jews in Exodus


Question:

What percentage of the Jews did not follow Moses out of egypt and what happened to them? Do we know who they are and are they still considered to be Jewish?



AskTheRabbi.org answered:

Eighty percent of Jews did not go out from Egypt with Moses. Rather, they died during the Plague of Darkness. (See Rashi's commentary on Exodus 13:18.) They were people who really didn't want to go out of Egypt or had great doubts about leaving their "homeland" for a desert and the unknown.

It's amazing to consider the numbers involved. If we assume that approximately 3 million Jews left Egypt, this means that 12 million Jews died in Egypt prior to the Exodus!

I hope this has been helpful.


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