“... The dream is fulfilled in the story of the Exodus, where Moses leads his people out of Egypt and Pharaoh is overthrown. The tragic climax comes with the destruction of the Egyptians at the sea. Then the drama concludes with a peaceful scene at Elim. Significantly, the story is not extended to Mt. Sinai, although the giving of the law would have provided a satisfactory dramatic finale. Instead, the concluding scene is marked by the second deviation from the biblical text, the description of the phoenix. The introduction of the phoenix into the story of the Exodus is most immediately prompted by the reference to the palm trees at Elim. Since the Greek word phoenix, which means both "phoenix" and "palm tree," is used in the Septuagint, it provides the obvious point of contact. However, the phoenix (bennu) had ancient symbolic significance in Egypt, where it was associated with the creator god and the renewal of life, but also with Osiris and with the renewal of life through death. In Ezekiel's drama it is coupled with the biblical imagery of the twelve springs of Elim, which suggest abundance and life. This scene is presented as the report of a scout. It is not yet present, but it suggests a promised land of renewed life and possibly of immortality. ...”

“... 243–69 This is yet another use by Ezekiel of the messenger speech. Context indicates that the messenger here is probably a scout sent to investigate the camping possibilities in the desert. Ezekiel elaborates the terse biblical statement that at Elim there were 12 springs and 70 palm trees (Exod. 15:27). Like Philo (Moses 1.188), Ezekiel makes Elim a wonderful oasis. [...] 254–69 The scout continues his report with the sighting of a strange bird. There can be no doubt that this bird is the fabulous phoenix. One of our sources for this passage explicitly makes the identification. More important, comparisons with accounts of the phoenix guarantee the identification. Why did Ezekiel incorporate into a play on the Exodus the appearance of the phoenix, an appearance that is attested neither in the Bible nor in postbiblical Jewish sources? In general, appearances of the phoenix, which were very rare, were taken to mark a moment or an event of great magnitude. In addition, the tale of the phoenix is one of regeneration and rebirth. On both these counts, Ezekiel may have introduced the phoenix to signify the great import of the redemption of the Jewish people, itself a story of (metaphorical) rebirth. ...”