Final answer:
When the pharaoh retracted his decision to let the Israelites go, he pursued them to the Red Sea, where Moses parted the waters allowing the Israelites to escape, while the Egyptian army drowned when the sea closed back.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the pharaoh changed his mind about allowing the Israelites to leave Egypt, he pursued them, culminating in the iconic event known as the crossing of the Red Sea. According to the biblical narrative, as the Israelites were escaping, the pharaoh and his army chased after them. However, God intervened by allowing Moses to part the Red Sea, through which the Israelites safely fled. The pharaoh's army attempted to follow, but the waters returned to their place, drowning the Egyptians and allowing the Israelites to continue their journey towards Canaan.
This account, found in the Book of Exodus, marks a crucial event in Jewish history called the Exodus, which signifies their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and their journey under Moses's leadership to Mount Sinai. Here, Moses received the Ten Commandments, further solidifying their covenant with God. Despite the dramatic portrayal of these events in religious texts, historians and archaeologists have debated their historical accuracy due to limited corroborative evidence.