Exodus is the second book of the Torah. It describes how the Hebrews, the chosen people of God, came to be enslaved by the powerful Egyptian nation. God causes one Hebrew boy, Moses, to be raised and educated in the Pharaoh's own house, then exiled where he learns of God's plans that he lead the Hebrews out of slavery.
Pharaoh has little interest in simply releasing a large part of his imperial labor force, so God releases ten increasingly destructive plagues on the Egyptians, the last of which causes Pharaoh to beg for the Hebrews to leave.
Moses guides the Hebrew people into the wilderness, where God protects them, provides nourishment for them, and gives them laws to govern their lives and their worship. The most famous of these, the Ten Commandments, are still well-remembered today. The wilderness religious practices, focused on sacrifices at the Tabernacle, are less known.
