Egypt as death-land

 Speaking on Exodus 15 at the Evangelical Ministry Assembly (24/6/21) Nigel Styles suggests that in the Bible Egypt is characteristically thought of as death-land. 

It is fitting that modern museums' Egypt sections are devoted to embalming. 

When Joseph is sold into slavery, the traders are selling funeral supplies (Genesis 37:25). 

In the Bible one often goes down to Egypt, rather as if it were Sheol, the place of the dead. 

The waters of the Nile and the Red Sea are the waters of death - and of salvation (Exodus 1:22 and chapter 2; Exodus 14-15). 

Styles argues that the message of Exodus, and indeed of the Pentateuch, might be summed up as deliverance from death for dwelling with God.