The Mystery of Moses
Moses is one of the most revered and important characters of the Old Testament. Yet, as much as we know about the people of that time, Moses is still a figure shrouded in mystery. His existence is not proven; his life is contradictory to itself, and his persona, as shown through the bible, is immensely glorified. But, who was he? Was he real or just a bedtime myth?
There are many theories of the origin of Moses. According to the bible Moses was a man born of Hebrew descent. At the time of his birth, the Pharaoh felt his kingdom threatened by the Israelites (Hebrews) and ordered that every newborn male Israelite be dropped into the Nile River. His mother, daughter of Levi according to the New American Standard Bible, placed him in a basket made of reed and send him down the river in fear for his safety. He was picked up and adopted by the Pharaoh's daughter. One day Moses witnessed a taskmaster beating an Israelite for no reason so Moses killed the taskmaster. The Pharaoh heard of this and ordered that Moses be sentenced to death. He escaped the land of Egypt to Midian where he met his wife Zipporah. He had lived in Midian for a while when the Lord appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush. The lord gave Moses the task of leading the Israelites out of bondage and into then Promised Land. He reluctantly accepted after god told him the name by which to call him. The New American Standard Bible states simply that god revealed his secret name to Moses and Moses accepted. Other versions of the bible talk of a staff that can transform into a snake and a hand of Leperas. Either way, Moses accepted and descended into Egypt to talk with the Pharaoh.
Moses asked for his people s freedom and the Pharaoh refused. He then brought ten plagues to Egypt water to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, pestilence, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of the first born. The Israelites were granted passage out of the lands of Egypt and they headed towards the Red Sea. When they reached the Red Sea, the Pharaoh was behind them, pursuing with a sense of vengeance. The Lord helped Moses to part the waters of the Red Sea and the Israelites made their way through the towering waters. The Egyptian army followed and was swallowed by the waters as ...
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...arguments to their being the same person, but is it possible the chronological scale could have been that far off. It is hard to prove or disprove this theory until we find the tomb of Akhanaton.
Whether Moses was real, another person entirely, or just a bedtime story for small children, he led the Hebrew people to the Promised Land. He fulfilled the covenant given to Abraham and Isaac and Israel. His story is arguably the most important in the Old Testament, taking up five books. He lived the life of an Egyptian prince, a simple Shepard, and the Hebrew savior, leading his people out of oppression.
“Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He had no equal in all the signs and wonders the lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against the Pharaoh and all his servants and all his land, and for the might and the terrifying power that Moses exhibited in the sight of Israel.” (Deut. 34.10)
Bibliography
Hooker, Richard. “Akhnaton.” World Civilizations. 1996 <http://members.tripod.com/~zift/akhn.htm> (30 Sept. 2000)
The New American Bible. Iowa Falls: World Bible Publishers, Inc., 1991
Moses is characterized as a hard-working man who is very kind and intimate with nature. He is the last worker out in the fields on many days and he is extremely comfortable outside in nature. In Edward P. Jones’ excerpt from The Known World, the character of Moses is developed through the imagery that is used, the third person point of view, and the details that Jones chooses to use.
Moses Maimonides was born in Cordoba, Spain in 1135. After a brief sum of time, his family felt an immediate need to flee persecution. They led a nomadic lifestyle for several years and then settled in North Africa. They fled the Iberian Peninsula after an intolerant Islamic dynasty came to power. Moses was found in the Nile River by an Egyptian princess who raised him as her own until he grew up to become sovereign. When he saw an Egyptian foreman beating an Israelite slave, he wound up executing the Egyptian foreman in attempting to stop the abuse. He
All boys born were to be killed, however, a Hebrew boy by the name of Moses was born and wrapped delicately in a woven basket and set in to the Nile River, only to be found by the daughter of the pharaoh. Moses later was able to become a prince in the Pharaoh’s palace for many years until he observes the beating of a Hebrew by an Egyptian taskmaster whom he kills. Once overheard by the person of the land Moses was then forced to become an outcast and was sent to the desert land. While there, God often visited Moses and had abundant conversations regarding Mosses’ return to Egypt. After several talks between God and Moses and forty years later, Moses agreed to return to Egypt and take the brave step in leading God’s people out of slavery. Pharaoh was confronted and appalled, yet, through a challenging cycle of plagues, promises, and the death of Pharaohs eldest, Israel was broken from his grasp. Accumulating and moving the mass of God’s civilization was not an easy task, however, they marched out of Egypt, through the depths of the Red Sea, and into the desert, all behind the lead of Moses, destroying the pharaoh in the
Moses went against the pharaoh and went on to free and lead the Jewish people to the promised
Moses was a Hebrew who was raised with Egyptian upbringing and education. As he grew he either knew that he was an Israelite or simply sympathized with Israelites in bondage. We know this by the action he took when he saw an Egyptian guard beating on a Hebrew slave. Moses interfered, killed the guard, and buried him. So Moses fled Egypt to Mount Sinai out of fear. This is the location in which God revealed his personal name to Moses and called upon him to lead his people out of the land of Egypt.
Moses was a major character in the fact that he was the reason his son, Adam, became the man that he had become. “If just once in all my born days you’d say a good thing to me” (Fast 3), Moses stated. Moses wanted Adam to be raised the way that Moses was raised and respect it. Adam did not like how strict his father was to him and did not want to be raised like he was. “Maybe it’s time I just went and did something without my father”
...nnel for the message to the Israelites. This serves God's ultimately purpose of setting his chosen people free. Although Moses does not seem like a worthy candidate for the task, God gives him the power to overcome his flaws. Moses was successful in communicating and obeying God's word throughout his journey, because he never sought to control or possess the land or the people, unlike Pharaoh. In the end, the journey of the spiritual hero can finish in either one of these two paths. It is up to the individual whether or not they will succumb to temptation and be led down into hell and remain there forever.
This section of exodus focuses on Moses, an Israelite who was raised as an Egyptian, who has fled from Egypt after the Pharaoh tried to kill him for killing an Egyptian man. By Exodus 3:1 Moses is married to Zipporah daughter of Jethro who gives him a job working as a shepherd. While tending to his animals Moses arrives at Horeb also known as Mount Sinai or the Mountain of God. Here Moses has his first theophany with God in the form of a burning bush. During this passage God talks to Moses telling him what he needs to do: go to Egypt and convince the Pharaoh to let the Egyptians go by performing a series of miracles. What god is asking Moses to do is intimidating. At this time the Pharaoh was the ruler of Egypt who had a powerful army and the Israelite’s weren’t going to be easy to convince that God sent him. Despite the “signs” Moses is reluctant to take the role beca...
Moses appears at a burdensome time for the Israelites: slavery in Egypt. God uses him in the miraculous exodus of the Israelites. It is during the time of Moses that the Israelites finally become a nation.
Moses never truly achieved his goals to free his people from persecution and establish a safe and secure homeland, but he did appoint people to lead after him and left them with the Book of Deuteronomy. In these sermons, Moses recalls the trials and tribulations of 40 years in the wilderness to show the struggles his people have made so far. He also demands that they follow his teachings and, more importantly, the Ten Commandments. He leaves them by telling them to observe one and only one God, his God. Shortly thereafter, Moses died at the age of 120 and paved the foundation for the creation of Israel.
It is evident in the text that Moses erects himself as a magnificent leader over the Israelites. In the beginning of the text, the author is able to show Moses human faults when he backs down from God’s challenge of being a leader yet finds the strength to eventually lead his people and convey God’s message through his own actions. He comes a long way in proving his effectiveness as a leader. He begins to accept the blame of others and overcomes all of his own personal flaws because he is motivated by the responsibilities that have been given to him.
Before relationships begin to develop, each of the protagonists are in different positions. Moses is born a Hebrew, but growing up he is considered an Egyptian. When Moses flees to Midian and saves the
Like Odysseus, Moses was at one with the gods. In Moses' case it was only
Throughout the Bible many different men have been essential in fulfilling God’s will. One of the main men that had an extremely important part throughout the history of the Bible is Moses. Moses has a very interesting life in my opinion, he is known as one of the most important prophets not only in the Christian religion but also many other religions. The life of Moses’s is full of accomplishments with the help of God, but also struggles along the way.
Moses is a great figure in both the Quran and the Bible. Both holy books have a similar account of most aspects of Moses, and view him as a great man who was protected by God even before his birth. In addition, God allowed Moses be raised in the palace and getting the best education to prepare him for greatness and leadership.