Moses

Who He Was

In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the Exodus from Egypt. He is considered the most important prophet in Judaism and Samaritanism, and one of the most important prophets in Christianity, Islam, the Baháʼí Faith, and other Abrahamic religions. According to the Abrahamic scriptures, God dictated the Mosaic Law to Moses, which he wrote down and which formed part of the Torah. According to the Book of Exodus, Moses was born in a period when his people, the Israelites, who were an enslaved minority, were increasing in population; consequently, the Egyptian Pharaoh was worried that they might ally themselves with Egypt's enemies. When Pharaoh ordered all newborn Hebrew boys to be killed in order to reduce the population of the Israelites, Moses' Hebrew mother, Jochebed, secretly hid him in the bulrushes along the Nile river. The Pharaoh's daughter discovered the infant there and adopted him as a foundling. Thus, he grew up with the Egyptian royal family. After killing an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, Moses fled to Midian, where he encountered the Angel of the Lord, speaking to him from within a burning bush on Mount Horeb. God sent Moses back to Egypt to demand the release of the Israelites from slavery. Moses objected that he could not speak eloquently, so God allowed Aaron, his elder brother, to speak for him. After the Ten Plagues, Moses led the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, after which they based themselves at Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. After 40 years of wandering in the desert, Moses died on Mount Nebo at the age of 120, within sight of the Promised Land. The majority of scholars see the biblical Moses as a legendary figure, while retaining the possibility that Moses or a Moses-like figure existed in the 13th century BCE. Rabbinic Judaism calculated a lifespan of Moses corresponding to 1391–1271 BCE; Jerome suggested 1592 BCE, and James Ussher suggested 1571 BCE as his birth year. Moses has often been portrayed in art, literature, music and film, and he is the subject of works at a number of U.S. government buildings. Recognized in: Islam, Christianity, Judaism.

Birth and Early Life

Traditional and historical sources place Moses in the era of c. 1393–1273 BCE (traditional). Where such dates are traditional, mythic, or disputed rather than historically established, they should be read as the tradition's own reckoning rather than confirmed chronology.

His Calling / Mission

The scriptures and traditions of Islam, Christianity, Judaism describe the calling and mission of Moses; the key passages are listed under Sacred Texts and Scripture below.

Religion and Teachings

Moses is honored within Islam, Christianity, Judaism. His teaching and significance are set out in the sacred texts that record his life.

Sacred Texts and Scripture

Scriptural references: Quran 2:49–93, 7:103–156, 20, 28; Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Major Accomplishments and Events

The account of Moses's life, works, and significance is preserved in the scriptures cited above and in the living tradition of Islam, Christianity, Judaism.

Death and Legacy

Moses is remembered across Islam, Christianity, Judaism as one of the foundational figures of faith, and continues to be honored in scripture, devotion, and scholarship. Source: Wikipedia