Among the many differences between Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we noted this: the dispersal of Katrina survivors was dubbed a diaspora, while folks fleeing Rita were considered part of an exodus. Diaspora and exodus are both Greek terms born in biblical times, and this month we look into their stories, drawn from entries in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Encyclopedia.
Diaspora, Jewish
The term diaspora most commonly refers to all Jewish communities outside Israel. It comes from the Greek word diaspora, meaning "dispersion. "The first Diaspora was the Babylonian Exile of 586 BC. The largest Diaspora flourished in Alexandria, where, in the 1st cent. BC, Jews represented 40% of the population. Diaspora Jews far outnumbered Jews in Palestine even before Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70. Today, of the estimated 14 million Jews worldwide, some 4 million live in Israel, 4.5 million in the U.S., and 2.2 million in Russia and other republics of the former Soviet Union.
Exodus
Exodus is the second book of the Old Testament. The title refers to the departure of the Israelites from Egypt under Moses in the 13th cent. BC. The book begins with the story of the Israelites' enslavement in Egypt and God's call to Moses to become a prophet. It tells of the plagues sent to persuade the pharaoh to free the Israelites, and it recalls their crossing of the Sea of Reeds (or the Red Sea) and their 40 years of wandering in the Sinai desert.
From Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Encyclopedia
