Determination of the Geographical Genius Loci of the Biblical Exodus: Experiences of Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Exodus Text [Ex. 13:20 - Ex. 20:26]

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to deepen the study of the Humanistic Geography Third Space – i.e. the space of cultural stratification and memory rooting of individuals and society – for the text of the Biblical Exodus, comprised between Ex. 13:20 and Ex. 20:26. To this aim, the paper reports the results of some experiments of exploratory factor analysis (so called, EFA) for the Third Space items proposed by Lando and Voltolina (2005), i.e. the geographic fact, the sense of place, the cultural roots, the landscapes of the mind and the territorial consciousness. The objective of the EFA is to identify any latent factors, obtainable from correlation studies of the five sample items listed above, in order to identify the geographical Genius loci, i.e. the spirit of the Third Space of the Exodus text included in the interval Ex. 13:20 - Ex. 20:26. The results surprisingly confirm the model recently proposed by M. Vecco (2020) about the peculiarities of the Genius loci, interpreted as a meta-concept of a holistic approach, characterized by a double nature of physical reality and spiritual entity. The literary interval taken into consideration corresponds to one of the more specifically “geographical” parts of the Exodus, in which the path taken by the Jews from the Land of Goshen to Mount Sinai, is described.