This study tests the existence of the Oedipus complex in ancient Israel by examining biblical texts. We find in various passages two key themes associated with Freud's theory: father-son competition for a mother's affection and a man's fear of castration. The most striking case is Exodus 4:24-26. In the manner of an initiation or a dream, the episode of the “Bridegroom of Bloodshed” clearly articulates the anxieties of the Oedipus complex. Exodus 4:24-26 is analyzed through two psychological-anthropological creative writing exercises: first as an ethnographer's description of an Israelite initiation ritual, then as a mock dream analysis by Freud.