Pyramid

Pharaoh…made ready his chariot, and took his people with him; and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh King of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel…and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Piha-hirth, before Ball-zephon…And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back…And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and were in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horsemen, his chariots and his horsemen…and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea…And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them…

— Old Testament, Book of Exodus 14:6–28

(King James Version)

Moses threw down his staff and thereupon it changed to a veritable serpent…Pharaoh sent forth heralds to all the cities. “These,” they said, “are but a puny band, who have provoked us much. But we are a numerous army, well-prepared.”…At sunrise the Egyptians followed them. And when the two multitudes came within sight of each other, Moses’ companions said: “We are surely undone!” “No,” Moses replied, “my Lord is with me, and He will guide me.” We bade Moses strike the sea with his staff, and the sea was cleft asunder, each part as high as a massive mountain. In between We made the others follow. We delivered Moses and all who were with him, and drowned the rest…

— Qur’ān, Al-Shu’Arā’ (The Poets), 26: 32–66

(trans. N. J. Dawood)

Omens of fire in the chariots’ wind,

Pillars of fire in thunder and storm

— Yannai, possibly c. seventh century AD

(a Hebrew poem in the Cairo Geniza, about the Book of Exodus)