Exodus includes elements of the documentary and historical romance. The novel makes frequent use of historical detail, and careful use of chronology, but also includes elements closer to the world of literary romance; Ari tends to be unswervingly heroic, Kitty unimpeachably selfless and Karen flawlessly fair. Uris himself draws attention to the story of the Biblical Exodus, which in the novel serves as a precedent for the Jewish fight for freedom, although other precedents, such as the siege of Masada, also receive mention. Each section of the novel is prefaced by a Biblical quotation, and although the book of Exodus is the source of only one of these, the Biblical Exodus — which Passover commemorates, and the celebration of Passover is the final scene of the work — is the keynote of the novel.