The Tables of the Law

The Tables of the Law recounts the early life of Moses, his preparations for leading hispeople out of Egypt, the exodus itself and the incidents at the oasis Kadesh, and theengraving of the stone tables of the law at Sinai. In Thomas Mann’s ironic and tellingstyle, this most dramatic and significant story in the Hebrew Bible takes on a new (and attimes, witty) life and meaning. Like Joseph and His Brothers, it represents Mann’s art atits best. He who dares to retell the story of the exodus must be bold, but to succeed hemust be inspired as well. Here one would say Mann was inspired.