Moses

Moses, (Moshe in Hebrew), was, according the Biblical book of Exodus, the leader of the Israelites who led them out of Egypt to Israel at the commanded of God. Moses is viewed as the greatest prophet of Judaism and as a major prophet in Christianity and Islam.

Childhood

Moses was the son of Amram of the tribe of Levi and his wife Jochebed. After the reigning pharaoh had ordered all the Hebrew male babies to be killed after birth, Jochebed gave birth to Moses and kept him concealed. After a few months it was no longer practical to conceal Moses and so he was set adrift in a basket on the Nile. While Miriam, Moses' sister watched from afar, Pharaoh's daughter and her attendants came to the river and seeing the child took him from the river. Miriam asked if she would like one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child, and Pharaoh's daughter agreed. Therefore Moses' own mother nursed him. After Moses grew older, he was brought to be raised in Pharaoh's house.

Life

Adulthood and Flight

One day Moses went out to where the Israelites were performing their hard labor. When he saw an Egyptian beating one of his own people, he slew the Egyptian believing no one was watching. Learning he had been discovered, Moses fled Egypt to Midian, where he met and later married Zipporah. Later, God appeared to Moses in a bush that burned but was not consumed and commanded Moses to return to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of slavery.

Exodus

Main Article: Exodus of Israel

Along with his brother Aaron, Moses confronted Pharaoh and demanded that he release the Israelite slaves. Pharaoh refused and, consequently, God brought about Ten Plagues on the Egyptians. Finally, Pharaoh let the Israelites go. However, shortly thereafter, Pharaoh changed his mind and chased the Israelites to the sea. In the ensuing confrontation, God split the sea and the Israelites walked through on dry land. After they had crossed, the Egyptian army attempted to follow but were drowned in the returning waters.

Sinai

After these events, Moses brought the Israelites to Mount Sinai. It was there that Moses spoke to God, and God answered him from a cloud. Moses went up the mountain and God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and other laws to pass on to the people (Exodus chapters 20 to 23)

Later events and death

Shortly after the giving of the Ten Commandments, the incident of the Golden Calf occurred while Moses was up on Mount Sinai with God. God told Moses what was happening below and that He would destroy the people and start a new line of people through Moses, but Moses begged Him not to. Moses came down and smashed the tablets. He called all of those who were with the Lord to come to him, then had the Levites kill those who continued to worship the calf and would not follow God (3000 in number). Moses went up Mount Sinai again and received another set of the Ten Commandments to give to the people. As the Israelites reached the promised land and spied it out, they were afraid and made the excuse they feared for their children. For this reason God told them they would wander for 40 years until all of them were dead, and it would be their children who would enter the promised land. Even Moses himself was not allowed to enter the promised land for not obeying God's instructions and striking a rock with his staff in anger. He was allowed to see it however, and died and was buried at 120 years of age.