Who is Moses? Prophet Moses - the story of a biblical legend

Moses in Judaism

Pharaoh's stubbornness exposed the country to the horrors of ten so-called Egyptian plagues: turning the waters of the Nile into blood; invasion of toads, midges, dog flies; livestock pestilence; disease in humans and livestock, expressed in inflammation with abscesses; hail and fire between hail; locust invasion; dark; the death of the firstborn of Egyptian families and of all the firstborn of livestock.

The memory of the prophet Moses is celebrated by the Christian Church on September 17 (new century).

Moses in Islam

In the Muslim tradition, the name Moses sounds like Musa (Arabic: موسى ‎‎). He is a prophet in Islam to whom the Taurat was revealed.

Musa's call to prophecy

Musa is one of the descendants of the prophet Yaqub. He was born and lived for some time in Egypt. At that time, there was a Pharaoh who ruled there, who was an unbeliever. Musa fled from the pharaoh to the prophet Shuaib, who at that time owned Madyan.

One day Musa was moving along the road, heading to Egypt, past Mount Al-Tur. At night, when it got colder, he and his wife were sitting in a tent and suddenly saw a fire in the distance. Musa said to his wife: “Wait here, I’ll go and see what kind of fire it is and bring some fire to melt the hearth and keep warm.”

Approaching the place where he saw the fire, Musa did not find anything, but suddenly heard a voice addressed to him: “O Musa! Verily, I am I, your Lord. Therefore, take off your shoes, for you are in the sacred valley of Tuva.

I have chosen you; So, listen to the revelation. Verily, I am I - Allah; there is no god but Me. Therefore worship Me and observe Prayer in remembrance of Me.

Go to Pharaoh and politely tell him that maybe he will remember Allah and stop being cruel and unjust. And so that he believes you, show him this miracle.”

Musa was afraid to return to Egypt because the Pharaoh would capture and execute him for the man that Musa had once killed.

Musa was tongue-tied and it was difficult for him to speak. He was afraid that he would not be able to tell Pharaoh anything. In Egypt, Musa had a brother, Harun, who was a righteous man. Musa called to his Lord:

“My lord, I am afraid that they will accuse me of lying. My breath will be taken away, and I will not be able to utter words. Send Haruna with me, since I am guilty before them and am afraid that they will kill me.”

Allah said to him: “O Musa, do not be afraid and remember that I saved you when you were a baby. Go with Our signs. I am with you and will not leave you. Go you and your brother Harun. So, go both of you to Pharaoh and tell him: “We are the Messengers of our Lord, the Lord of the Worlds.” Ask him to save the children of Israel from torment and humiliation.”

So Allah Almighty granted revelation to Musa and his brother Harun, peace be upon them, and they became Messengers of Allah. Allah sent them to Pharaoh to urge him to accept Islam.

Death of Musa

Prophet Musa moved with his people to the Holy Land (Palestine), where evil giants lived. The people told the prophet Musa: “We will not go there until they leave it.” Others said: “As long as the giants live there, we will never go there. You yourself go and fight with them, and we will stay here.” Prophet Musa became angry and called them sinners.

Allah Almighty punished the people of Musa, peace be upon him. They wandered the earth day and night for forty years.

Prophet Musa continued to call people to adhere to Islam - to believe in One God. And so he taught people until his death. First, his brother Harun died, and after some time the Angel of Death Azrael took the spirit of the prophet Musa, peace be upon them.

Background and birth of Moses

The birth of the future prophet was initially shrouded in mystery. Almost the only source of information about Moses was the biblical scriptures, since there is no direct historical evidence, there is only indirect evidence. In the year of the prophet’s birth, the ruling Pharaoh Ramses II ordered all newborn children to be drowned in the Nile, since, despite the hard work and oppression of the Jews, they continued to be fruitful and multiply. Pharaoh was afraid that one day they might side with his enemies.

That is why Moses’ mother hid him from everyone for the first three months. When this was no longer possible, she tarred the basket and placed her child there. Together with her eldest daughter, she took her to the river and left Mariam to see what happened next.

God wanted Moses and Ramses to meet. History, as mentioned above, is silent about the details. The basket was picked up by the pharaoh's daughter and brought to the palace. According to another version (which some historians adhere to), Moses belonged to the royal family and was the son of that very daughter of Pharaoh.

Be that as it may, the future prophet ended up in the palace. Miriam, who had observed whoever lifted the basket, offered Moses' own mother as a nurse. So the son returned to the family for a while.

Life of a Prophet in the Palace

After Moses grew up a little and no longer needed a nurse, his mother took the future prophet to the palace. He lived there for quite a long time, and was also adopted by the pharaoh's daughter. Moses knew what kind of person he was, he knew that he was a Jew. And although I studied along with other children royal family, but did not absorb cruelty.

The story of Moses from the Bible shows that he did not worship the many gods of Egypt, but remained faithful to the beliefs of his ancestors.

Moses loved his people and suffered every time he saw their torment, when he saw how mercilessly every Israelite was exploited. One day something happened that forced the future prophet to flee Egypt. Moses witnessed the brutal beating of one of his people. In a fit of rage, the future prophet snatched the whip from the hands of the overseer and killed him. Since no one saw what he did (as Moses thought), the body was simply buried.

After some time, Moses realized that many already knew what he had done. Pharaoh orders the arrest and death of his daughter's son. History is silent about how Moses and Ramses treated each other. Why did they decide to try him for the murder of the overseer? You can take into account different versions of what happened, however, most likely, the decisive thing was that Moses was not an Egyptian. As a result of all this, the future prophet decides to flee Egypt.

Flight from Pharaoh and the further life of Moses

According to biblical data, the future prophet headed to the land of Midian. The further history of Moses tells of his marriage to the daughter of the priest Jethro, Zipporah. Living this life, he became a shepherd and learned to live in the desert. He also had two sons.

Some sources claim that before marrying, Moses lived for some time with the Saracens and had a prominent position there. However, it should still be taken into account that the only source of the narrative about his life is the Bible, which, like any ancient scripture, over time acquired a certain allegorical touch.

Divine revelation and the appearance of the Lord to the prophet

Be that as it may, the biblical story about Moses tells that it was in the land of Midian, when he was tending flocks, that the Lord was revealed to him. The future prophet was eighty years old at this time. It was at this age that he encountered a thorn bush on his way, which blazed with flames but did not burn.

At this point, Moses was instructed that he must save the people of Israel from Egyptian power. The Lord commanded to return to Egypt and take his people to the promised land, freeing them from long-term slavery. However, the Almighty Father warned Moses about difficulties on his way. So that he had the opportunity to overcome them, he was given the ability to perform miracles. Because Moses was tongue-tied, God ordered his brother Aaron to help him.

Return of Moses to Egypt. Ten Plagues

History as a herald God's will, began on the day when he appeared before the pharaoh who ruled Egypt at that time. This was a different ruler, not the one from whom Moses fled at one time. Of course, Pharaoh refused the demand to release the Israeli people, and even increased the labor obligation for his slaves.

Moses and Ramses, whose history is more obscure than researchers would like, clashed in a confrontation. The prophet did not accept the first defeat; he came to the ruler several more times and ultimately said that God’s punishment would fall on the Egyptian land. And so it happened. By the will of God, ten plagues occurred that fell on Egypt and its inhabitants. After each of them, the ruler called on his sorcerers, but they found Moses’ magic more skillful. After each misfortune, Pharaoh agreed to let the people of Israel go, but each time he changed his mind. Only after the tenth did Jewish slaves become free.

Of course, the story of Moses did not end there. The Prophet still had years of travel ahead of him, as well as confrontation with the unbelief of his fellow tribesmen, until they all reached the Promised Land.

The establishment of Passover and the exodus from Egypt

Before the last plague that befell the Egyptian people, Moses warned the people of Israel about it. This was the killing of the firstborn in every family. However, the forewarned Israelites anointed their door with the blood of a lamb no older than one year, and the punishment passed them by.

On the same night the celebration of the first Easter took place. The story of Moses in the Bible tells of the rituals that preceded it. The slaughtered lamb had to be roasted whole. Then eat while standing, with the whole family gathered. After this event, the people of Israel left the land of Egypt. Pharaoh, in fear, even asked to do this quickly, seeing what happened at night.

The fugitives came out at first dawn. The sign of God's will was a pillar, which was fiery at night and cloudy during the day. It is believed that this particular Easter eventually transformed into the one we know now. The liberation of the Jewish people from slavery symbolized exactly this.

Another miracle that happened almost immediately after leaving Egypt was the crossing of the Red Sea. At the command of the Lord, the waters parted and dry land formed, along which the Israelites crossed to the other side. The pharaoh who chased them also decided to follow along the bottom of the sea. However, Moses and his people were already on the other side, and the waters of the sea closed again. This is how Pharaoh died.

The covenants that Moses received on Mount Sinai

The next stop for the Jewish people was Mount Moses. The story from the Bible tells that on this path the fugitives saw many miracles (manna from heaven, springs of spring water appearing) and became stronger in their faith. Ultimately, after a three-month journey, the Israelites came to Mount Sinai.

Leaving the people at its foot, Moses himself climbed to the top for the instructions of the Lord. There a dialogue took place between the Father of All and his prophet. As a result of all this, the Ten Commandments were received, which became basic for the people of Israel, which became the basis of legislation. Commandments were also received that covered civil and religious life. All this was written down in the Book of the Covenant.

The Israelite People's Forty-Year Desert Journey

The Jewish people stood nearby for about a year. Then the Lord gave a sign that we needed to move on. The story of Moses as a prophet continued. He continued to bear the burden of mediating between his people and the Lord. For forty years they wandered through the desert, sometimes living for a long time in places where conditions were more favorable. The Israelites gradually became zealous fulfillers of the covenants that the Lord gave them.

Of course, there were outrages. Not everyone was comfortable with such long journeys. However, as the story of Moses from the Bible testifies, the people of Israel still reached the Promised Land. However, the prophet himself never reached it. Moses had a revelation that another leader would lead them further. He died at the age of 120, but no one ever found out where it happened, since his death was a secret.

Historical facts confirming biblical events

Moses, whose life story we know only from biblical accounts, is a significant figure. However, is there official data that confirms his existence as a historical figure? Some consider all this just a beautiful legend that was invented.

However, some historians are still inclined to believe that Moses is a historical figure. This is evidenced by some information contained in the biblical story (slaves in Egypt, the birth of Moses). Thus, we can say that this is far from a fictional story, and all these miracles actually happened in those distant times.

It should be noted that today this event has been depicted more than once in cinema, and cartoons have also been created. They tell about heroes such as Moses and Ramses, whose history is little described in the Bible. Special attention the cinema focuses on the miracles that happened during their journey. Be that as it may, all these films and cartoons educate and instill morality in the younger generation. They are also useful for adults, especially those who have lost faith in miracles.

Based on the narrative of the Pentateuch. A number of deviations from it (for example, Hosh. 12:14 or Micah 6:4) indicate, according to some researchers, traditions parallel to the story of the Pentateuch, but not entirely identical to it. Non-Jewish Near Eastern sources from the pre-Hellenistic period do not mention Moses.

Despite the contradictions caused by the fact that the biblical story includes texts from different historical periods, in the epic of Exodus the gigantic figure of Moses clearly emerges, powerful and purposeful, but not without human weaknesses, a personality often tormented by doubts and internal struggles, who left an indelible imprint not only on history , the imagination and thinking of the Jewish people, but also on the appearance of Christian and Muslim civilizations.

The Sinai revelation, the giving of the Law (Torah) and the conclusion of the Covenant are the culmination of the exodus and the apogee of the stormy and impetuous activity of Moses. However, this climax is almost immediately followed by a fall. Moses spends forty days on the mountain. People lose faith in Moses and demand that Aaron make a material god, “who would go before us, for we do not know what happened to this man who brought us out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 32:1). Aaron makes a golden calf, which the people declare to be the god who brought him out of Egypt, and organize cult festivals in his honor. Moses, outraged by the gross violation of the second of the Ten Commandments (“... you will have no other gods besides Me; you shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness... You shall not worship or serve them”), in anger breaks the tablets handed to him by God, on which these commandments are written. As punishment for irredeemable sin, God is ready to destroy the entire nation and make the descendants of Moses a great nation. Moses rejects this offer, intercedes for the Israelites, and God reverses His decision. The people are saved, but the punishment inflicted on them is severe: “The calf was burned, ground into dust,” and the dust was scattered in the water, which the Israelites were forced to drink; three thousand of those who worshiped the idol were executed (Ex. 32).

This event becomes a turning point in the history of the Exodus. Alienation begins between Moses and the people he freed from slavery. “Moses pitched himself a tent... far from the camp and called it the tabernacle of meeting... And when Moses went out to the tabernacle, all the people rose up and stood each one at the entrance of his tent and looked after Moses until he entered the tabernacle" ( Exodus 33:7, 8).

Moses again climbs the mountain, where, at the command of God, he writes down the words of the Testament on new tablets. He is awarded not only indirect proof of the presence of God, hearing God's voice, but also partially visible theophany, after which his face is illuminated with light. When Moses descends from the mountain to convey the words of God for the second time, the people, amazed by the radiance of his face, are afraid to approach him. Since then, appearing before the people after each conversation with God, Moses covers his face with a veil (Ex. 34).

The crisis caused by the worship of the golden calf was a shock to Moses and revealed the duality of his difficult relationship with the people. Fearing the Philistines, who had settled in the south of the coastal strip of Canaan, Moses leads the people in a roundabout way. The wanderings in the desert seem endless, the hardships and hardships are insurmountable, and the Promised Land is out of reach. The murmur and latent discontent do not stop and result in open rebellion against Moses and Aaron (the latter was appointed high priest). Moses' relative Korah (Korach) from the tribe of Levi and his accomplices Datan, Abiram and He from the tribe of Reuven dispute the authority of Moses and his brother, accusing them of autocracy. They are joined by 250 “eminent people” who claim the right to be priests. Moses calls the leaders of the rebellion to him, but they categorically refuse to appear before him. “Is it not enough that you brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey to destroy us in the desert, and you still want to rule over us? Have you brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and have you given us fields and vineyards to possess? Do you want to blind the eyes of these people? Will not go!" (Num. 16:13–14).

This time, God decides to punish the rebels by resorting to a miracle, which should serve as a sign and warning: the instigators are swallowed up by the earth, and their followers are burned (Num. 16:17).

But even the most brutal measures cannot calm the people. Outbursts of indignation, distrust and disobedience are repeated repeatedly (Num. 20:1-13; 21:4-8; 25:1-9). Even Moses' brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, protest Moses' marriage to an Ethiopian woman (Num. 12:1-3), and they are both punished. In almost all of these cases, Moses tries to ward off or mitigate the punishment of God, but he himself cannot escape punishment for the fact that, contrary to the command of God, he struck the rock with a rod in order to draw water from it, when God ordered only to “say ... rock, and it will give water." According to traditional exegesis, God sees Moses' use of force as doubting His omnipotence and forbids him to enter the land of the fathers, to which he is leading the people. Moses is destined to die in the desert near the shore of the Promised Land in Transjordan (Num. 20:7–13). According to another version, Moses was punished for the sins of the people (Deut. 1:37; 3:26; 4:21).

But even more bitter disappointment befalls Moses when the scouts sent to Canaan return convinced that it is impossible to conquer this country, since its inhabitants, among whom are giants, are invincible. And although in fact the country flows with milk and honey, it “eats its inhabitants.” The indignant people rebel again and demand that he be returned to Egypt. Two of the scouts, who do not share the opinion of the others, try to exhort the people, but the crowd threatens to stone them. The angry God again decides to destroy the people of Israel, but this time Moses manages to obtain forgiveness from God and a commutation of the sentence: “All who have seen My glory and My signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted Me ten times already and have not If they listened to My voice, they will not see the land that I promised to their fathers with an oath...” (Num. 14:23-24). They will die in the desert, and only the next generation, raised in the desert, will be worthy of conquering the Promised Land and settling in it. The conquest of Canaan is entrusted to Moses' disciple Yeh hoshua bin Nun.

After forty years in the desert, the people approach Canaan. The generation of freed slaves of the “stiff-necked people” (Ex. 32:9; 33:35; 34:9; Deut. 9:6, 13) died out. Moses, despite his age (“one hundred and twenty years”; Deut. 31:2), is still full of strength (“his sight was not dull, nor his freshness exhausted”; Deut. 34:7). All his pleas and exhortations are in vain to change the fate prepared for him and allow him to enter into future Earth Israel: he is only allowed to look at it from the top of Trans-Jordanian Mount Nebo.

The tragedy of Moses, deprived of the opportunity to complete the great work he began, is described in the last book of the Pentateuch - Deuteronomy. Sharply different from other books both in style and in the spirit characteristic of the period of its writing (much later than the epic of the Exodus), it is, from a compositional point of view, a brilliant epilogue to the story of the life and work of Moses. This is the testament of a leader who, with some bitterness, sums up his activities, lists the successes and failures that accompanied the almost impossible mission, and gives the people a complete set of laws, largely repeating in new edition prescriptions of the previous code, but, unlike it, more adapted to the future settled life in the newly acquired homeland.

Moses dies in the “land of Moab” after God himself shows him from Mount Nebo the entire Land of Israel (Deut. 34:1–5), “no one knows the place of his burial even to this day... And the children of Israel mourned him ... thirty days” (Deut. 34:6, 8).

Historicity of Moses. The absence of any information about the life of Moses in ancient sources of the pre-Hellenistic period (except the Bible) has caused some biblical scholars to doubt his historicity. Some researchers even came to the conclusion that Moses is a fictional, legendary figure, and the story about him is the fruit of mythological creativity. Nevertheless, most scholars admit that the basis of biblical traditions was historical events, in which decisive role played by a certain person, but the nature of her activities is difficult to establish with certainty due to folklore layers. However, the story about the birth of Moses (see above, the name Moses (apparently from the Egyptian ms - son), the activities of Moses in Egypt (competitions with Egyptian sorcerers; Ex. 7:10–12), work on the construction of the Egyptian cities of Pitom and Ramses (the city of Pi-ramses is mentioned in Egyptian sources) - these components of the narrative uniquely reflect the atmosphere of Egypt during the New Kingdom era.The same is evidenced by some features of the ancient Egyptian story about the adventures of Sinuhe, which echo the episode of Moses’ flight from Egypt and his stay in Midian. names are found in the Bible only in the cycle of stories about Moses. According to some historians, one can trace the influence of the religious and cult tendencies that existed in Egypt in the 14th century BC on the monotheistic ideas of Moses. Pharaoh Akhenaten proclaimed the sun god Aten as the only deity of all Egypt The monotheistic cult of Aten was very soon liquidated, but stories about it could reach Pharaoh Moses, who was brought up in the palace.

Some biblical scholars offer another argument for the historicity of Moses. All the institutions of the First Temple era were created historical figures: monarchy - Samuel and David; Temple - Solomon; religious reforms were carried out by kings (Hezkiyah u; Yoshiyah u). The introduction of the cult of Yahweh and the creation at the dawn of Jewish history of cult institutions, the memory of which was preserved in the consciousness of the people, leads by analogy to the postulate of the activity of a personality on the scale of Moses; Moreover, this personality cannot be a retrospective projection of a later time. The most compelling historical analogy is Muhammad. According to Muslim tradition, like Moses, he is a prophet, political and military leader, creator of a new cult and legislator. However, there is no doubt about the existence of Muhammad as a historical figure.

Moses in the post-biblical tradition(in Talmud, Midrash and rabbinic literature). The Talmud and Midrash continue, in hyperbolic terms, the biblical tradition of simultaneously exalting and belittling the personality of Moses.

From the time of the Talmud to the present day, Moses is usually called Rabbenu(`our teacher`). Moshe Rabbenu - great teacher Jewish people. He is not only the author of the Pentateuch, who gave the people the Torah, that is, the Written Law, but also the founder of the entire Oral Law. Everything that a sage or teacher of the law has ever established or will establish in the future has already been bequeathed by Moses, including such prescriptions that do not follow from the commandments of the Torah ( x Halakha le-Moshe mi-Sinai, see Halakha). The whole world exists thanks to the merits of Moses and Aaron (Chul. 89a). When Moses was born, the entire house of Amram was illuminated with light (Sotah 13b). Dying, Moses received a kiss from God himself (BB. 17a). It is even suggested that Moses did not actually die and continues to serve God as he once did on Mount Sinai (Wed. 38a).

The Haggadah and folklore legends endow Moses with great wisdom, unprecedented virtues, incredible spiritual and physical strength, and the ability to perform miracles, bordering on sorcery. His youth is full of adventures and exploits. But it is against this background that his human traits and weaknesses stand out even more clearly. One of the most common legends tells that in early childhood, Moses, sitting on the lap of Pharaoh, tore the crown from his head and placed it on his own head. Pharaoh's advisors saw this as a bad omen. They advised to kill Moses, but Itro declared that the child did this out of thoughtlessness, and advised him to test his mental abilities, offering him a choice of hot coals and gold. The child reached for the gold, but an invisible angel directed his hand to the coals. Moses got burned and in fear raised the coal to his mouth. From then on he became tongue-tied (Ex. R. 1).

Another legend tells that when Moses was a shepherd, one lamb ran away from the flock. Moses chased after him, but when he saw him stop at a stream to drink, he realized that the tired lamb was suffering from thirst, and carried him back to the flock on his shoulder. Then God said to him: “He who shows such mercy to the sheep is worthy to shepherd My people” (Ex. R. 2).

In complete contradiction with such legends and with the texts of the Pentateuch, the Midrash talks about the vanity of Moses, who wished to found his own dynasty. During the dedication of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, Moses served as high priest. During his forty years of wandering in the desert, he was considered the king of Israel. Before his death, he asked God to preserve these two titles for him and pass them on as an inheritance to his descendants. God refused him, explaining that the title of high priest would go to the descendants of Aaron, and the royal dynasty was already intended for the descendants of David (Ex. R. 2:6).

Some statements even express doubt about Moses’ complete suitability for the role God chose for him: “The Holy One, blessed is He [see God. God in the Talmud, Midrash and rabbinic literature] said [seeing the people's worship of the golden calf]: Moses, come down from the heights of your greatness. After all, I gave you greatness only for the sake of Israel. But now that Israel has sinned, I have no need of you” (Br. 32a). Rabbi Yosi says that if Moses had not preceded the scribe Ezra, he would have been worthy to receive the Torah from God (Sankh. 21b).

Tractate Menachot gives a legend about Moses' visit to the yeshiva of Rabbi Akiva. After listening to the lecture of the great sage, Moses was confused because he did not understand anything. Only after Rabbi Akiva explained that his words - x Halakha le-Moshe mi-Sinai(see above), he calmed down (Men. 29b). Rabbinic literature contains different interpretations this story.

The colorful, dramatic description of Moses' plea for death to be taken away from him and for him to cross the Jordan River is one of the moving texts of the Haggadah. God did not heed his request, and Moses turns to heaven and earth, the sun and moon, stars and planets, mountains and hills, seas and rivers with a request to intercede for him before God, but they all find excuses to get rid of him. The sea, for example, says to him: “How can you demand this, who cut me apart when leaving Egypt?” (Deut. R. 6:11). In most versions of the Passover Haggadah, which is entirely dedicated to the Exodus, the name of Moses is absent, and in those rare versions in which it appears, it is mentioned only in passing. This emphasizes the personal tragedy of Moses. According to Talmudic tradition, Moses was born on the 7th of Adar and died on the same day at the age of 120.

In Hellenistic literature. In anti-Jewish Hellenistic literature, the Exodus is presented as the flight of a leper sect, Moses as a priest of the Egyptian god He, and the motive that prompted Moses to create a new doctrine is hatred of the Egyptians and their culture. The Greek writers of Alexandria argued that the Jews made no contribution to human culture. In contrast to such claims, Jewish Hellenistic literature emphasizes the great importance of Moses in this area. Ofolmos (2nd century BC) attributes to Moses the invention of alphabetic writing (see also Alphabet), which was adopted by the Greeks through the Phoenicians. Aristobulus (2nd century AD) claims that Greek philosophers and poets borrowed their wisdom and art from Moses. Artapan (2nd century) believes that Moses created the culture, civilization and religion of Egypt, and the teacher of Orpheus Musaios is none other than Moses. Artapan tells that Moses married an Ethiopian queen, who gave him the capital of her state (see above about the Ethiopian wife of Moses). Jewish apologetic literature on Greek includes Moses among the world's greatest legislators. Some writers say that the Egyptians revered him as the god Hermes - Thoth. Moses is the main character of the tragedy of Ezekiel (2nd century) “Exodus from Egypt.” Philo of Alexandria left a colorful biography of Moses.

In Kabbalah. In the book of Zoch ar, Moses is one of the seven “faithful shepherds of Israel,” who passionately loves his people. “On Mount Sinai God revealed to him the 70 faces of the Torah in seventy languages.” Moses embodies one of the ten sefirot (see also Kabbalah) - modes of Divine emanation through which God is revealed to humanity. Some Kabbalists believe that the soul of Moses will transmigrate into the Messiah (see Gilgul). Moses is the groom of the Divinity, which in Kabbalah is identified with the tenth sephira (Malkhut), symbolizing the feminine principle.

In Jewish religious philosophy. In medieval Jewish philosophy, Moses is, first of all, the greatest of the Hebrew prophets. This is what Yeh uda ha-Levi considers him to be, in whose works the image of Moses does not go beyond the tradition of the Bible and the Haggadah.

According to Maimonides, Moses is superior to all other prophets because he is the only one who went beyond the laws of nature and penetrated into the realm of supernatural existence. Other prophets achieved perfection only within the limits accessible to the human mind and imagination. Yeh uda Liva ben Bezalel (Mach Aral) also considers Moses a superhuman being, standing halfway between the earthly and the upper world.

In modern Jewish thought. Modern Jewish thought has been greatly influenced by Ahad-h ha-'Ama's article “Moses,” in which the author distinguishes between two approaches: archaeological and historical. He calls archaeological the desire to restore the historical image of Moses from historical monuments and archaeological finds. He considers historical the image of Moses, which is imprinted in the consciousness of the people and not only played for centuries, but still plays a decisive role in the formation of its history. Moses is a symbol of the denial of the imperfect present. As the people of Israel, Moses lives in the past and the future, serving as the engine of moral progress for all mankind.

M. Buber in the book “Moses” basically recognizes the historicity of Moses, but draws a distinction between history and the saga, which he considers to a certain extent historical, since it correctly reflects the feeling of the people and their hero in dramatic moments of history that cannot be comprehended without the postulate of Divine intervention . Moses attributes all his achievements to God and demands from the Israelis unlimited loyalty to Him, that is, to the ideals of justice. The Israelites must become a holy people, living for God and for the whole world. Therefore, the identity of Moses turned out to be driving force in the history of mankind, which “in our days, perhaps, needs it more than in any other era.” I. Kaufman ardently advocates the historicity of Moses as a spiritual leader who, having founded Jewish monotheism, made a revolution in the history of mankind. The Jewish religion is fundamentally different from all other religions of the world in that it contrasts the will of the one transcendental God with the laws of nature to which the gods of all polytheistic and henotheistic religions were subject.

The founder of psychoanalysis, S. Freud, suggested that Moses was an Egyptian who, after unsuccessful attempt to introduce the cult of the sun as a single god “chose” the Jewish people as the bearer of such monotheism. The people rebelled and killed him, repeating the act of the primitive horde, according to Freud, who killed their ancestor. Despite this, the monotheistic religion took root in the consciousness of the people, but its rooting and development was accompanied by a consciousness of guilt and the need for repentance, which are characteristic of all monotheistic religions originating from Judaism. Freud's psychoanalytic hypothesis is disputed by almost all historians, and its inconsistency is generally considered proven.

In Christianity. The Christian Church, which considers itself the heir of Judaism, gives pride of place to Moses in the Old Testament, but claims that the New Testament of Jesus replaced the laws of Moses. In the Epistle of Barnabas (first half of the 2nd century) the idea is expressed that, by breaking the tablets, Moses abolished the Covenant with the Jewish people. The raising of Moses' hand during the war with Amalek (see above) and the healing copper serpent (Num. 21:9) symbolize the crucified Jesus, who, according to Christian views, is superior to Moses - not a servant, but the son of God. The most important Christian work dedicated to Moses, “The Life of Moses,” belongs to the pen of one of the church fathers, Gregory of Nyssa.

In Islam. The story of Moses in the Koran is broadly similar to the biblical story, although it lacks some major events in Moses' life and work, such as his wanderings in the desert. On the other hand, tales from the post-biblical period and new legends are woven into it, for example, the journey of Moses in the company of a wandering sage (Sura 18:64). According to the Qur'an, Miriam, the sister of Moses, is the mother of Jesus, and in the Nile, Moses was found not by the daughter of Pharaoh, but by his wife (Sura 28:8).

In later Muslim traditions, the stories of the Koran are expanded and colored with fantastic folklore motifs. A special place in them is occupied by the staff (rod) of Moses, endowed with miraculous power. It was given to Moses by Jethro, who inherited it through the chain of prophets from Adam. These stories belong to the literary genre “Qisas al-anbiya” (“Stories about the Prophets”), of which only the works of A. al-Ta’labi (11th century) and M. al-Kisai (lived until the beginning of the 10th century) have survived. ?).

In art, music and literature. The life of Moses is one of the most common biblical themes in the world. fine arts. In early Christian art, Moses was often depicted as a beardless youth with a staff in his hand. Later, a canonical image was developed: a majestic old man with a beard, with tablets in his hands and horns on his head (a misunderstanding due to the fact that the word karnaim means "rays" and "horns" in Hebrew; see above about the radiance of Moses' face). Since the 5th century, scenes from the life of Moses often appear in illustrations to the Bible; they are found in the mosaics of St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice (late 12th century - early 13th century) and the Church of Santa Maria Madecore in Rome (5th and 13th centuries). Episodes from the life of Moses served as the theme of numerous works of wall painting during the Renaissance in Italy (frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli in the Camposanto covered cemetery in Pisa; S. Botticelli, Pinturicchio and L. Signorelli in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican). The painting of the Vatican loggias by Raphael and his students uses the theme of the Exodus. In the 16th century it is also used as the basis for the plot of paintings by B. Luini (Pinacoteca Brera, Milan) and C. Tintoretto (panels for the Scuola di San Rocco, Venice). “The Finding of Moses” is the theme of paintings by Giorgione and P. Veronese.

In the 17th century N. Poussin created a series of paintings dedicated to almost all the main events in the life of Moses. One of the most famous works of painting dedicated to Moses is Rembrandt’s painting “Moses Breaking the Tablets” (1659). The Russian artist F. Bruni painted a painting on the theme of the Exodus, “The Brazen Serpent” (1827–41).

Sculptural images of Moses were created both in the Middle Ages (for example, statues in Chartres) and during the Renaissance (for example, Donatello's statue in Florence). Outstanding works of art are the statue of Moses by C. Sluter for the so-called “Well of the Prophets”, or “Well of Moses in Dijon” (1406), as well as the most famous image of Moses - the statue of Michelangelo in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome (1515– 16). IN modern sculpture The works of A. Archipenko, I. Meshtrovic and others are dedicated to Moses.

In Jewish fine art, Moses appears already on the frescoes of the synagogue in Dura Europos. They depict the baby Moses in a basket floating on the Nile, the burning bush, the crossing of the Red Sea, Moses striking a rock with his rod, and other scenes. The image of Moses appears repeatedly in the Middle Ages in illuminated manuscripts, especially in H. A. Rubinstein “Moses” (1892); M. Gast “The Death of Moses” (1897); Y. Weinberg “The Life of Moses” (1955). A. Schoenberg's opera "Moses and Aaron" (1930, unfinished) - one of the most important works of atonal music - gives an original musical interpretation of the conflict between the leader-legislator and his people. The ballet “Moses” was written by the French composer D. Milhaud (1957). "Exodus" by Israeli composer I. Tal is the first piece of electronic music in Israel.

A number of Israeli songs that have become folk songs are dedicated to Moses. Some of them are adaptations of scenes from the X Haggadah. The most popular is the song of Jedidiah Admon (1894–1982) “U-Moshe hikka al-tzur” (“And Moses struck the rock”).

The African-American spiritual song “Let My People Go” has enjoyed international popularity for decades.

Already in the Hellenistic era, a number of literary works(see above). In medieval Christian drama, the theme of the Exodus occupies important place. In the 16th century interest in this topic is somewhat weakening; Only a few works are dedicated to her, including “The Childhood of Moses” by Mastersinger G. Sachs (1553). Although Moses was one of biblical heroes, who inspired Protestant writers of the 17th century, most of the works dedicated to him were written by Catholic authors.

From the 18th century Poetic works are increasingly being dedicated to Moses, which is associated, in particular, with the development of the musical and poetic genre of oratorio. Thus, Charles Jennens’s drama “Israel in Egypt” (circa 1738) served as a source for the libretto of G. F. Handel’s oratorio (see above). F. G. Knopstock in the poem “Messiad” (1751–73) gave the image of Moses the features of a titanic hero. F. Schiller wrote in his youth the sketch “The Messenger of Moses” (1738).

In the 19th century The image of Moses attracted many outstanding poets, including V. Hugo (“Temple”, 1859). G. Heine in “Confession” (1854) enthusiastically praises Moses (“How small Mount Sinai seems when Moses stands on it!”). Heine calls Moses a great artist who built pyramids and obelisks not from stone, but from people who made up a great, eternal people. R. M. Rilke wrote the poems “The Death of Moses” and “Moses” (1922). Ukrainian poet I. Franko wrote the poem “Moses” (1905).

In Russian poetry, poems were dedicated to Moses by I. Kozlov (“The Promised Land,” 1821), V. Benediktov (“Exodus,” 1835), L. May (“The Desert Key,” 1861), V. Solovyov (“ Burning bush", 1891), F. Sologub ("The Copper Serpent", 1896), I. Bunin ("Torah", 1914), V. Bryusov ("Moses", 1909) and others. The Russian-Jewish poet S. Frug dedicated it in the 1880s–90s. A whole series of poems to Moses (“Child on the Nile”, “Broken Tablets”, “Fireproof Bush”, “On Sinai”, “Tomb of Moses”).

The English Jewish poet Isaac Rosenberg (1890 - 1918) published the drama "Moses" (1916), in which the influence of Nietzsche's ideas about the superman is clearly felt. Dramas about Moses were written in English by I. Zangwiel (“Moses and Jesus”, 1903), in Italian by A. Orvisto (“Moses”, 1905), in Czech by E. Leda (“Moses”, 1919). The aggadic legends about Moses were processed into German R. Kaiser (“The Death of Moses”, 1921) and in French - E. Fleg (“Moses in the Stories of the Sages of the Talmud”, 1925). Novels about the life of Moses were published in English by Lina Eckstein (“Tutankhatan: A Tale of the Past,” 1924), L. Untermeyer (“Moses,” 1928) and G. Fast Azaz in the prose poem “Hatan Damim” (“Bridegroom of Blood” , 1925) depicted the spiritual world of Moses’ wife, suffering from her husband’s preoccupation with his mission. M. Gottfried wrote the epic poem “Moshe” (“Moses”, 1919).

In Israeli literature, several works are dedicated to Moses: B. Ts. Firer “Moshe” (“Moses”, 1959); I. Shurun “Halom Leil Stav” (“An Autumn Night’s Dream”, 1960); Shulamit Har’even “Sone h a-nissim” (“He who hated miracles”, 1983; Russian translation in the collection “In Search of Personality”, 1987); I. Oren “Kha-kh ar ve-kh a-‘akhbar” (“The Mountain and the Mouse”, 1972). In 1974, a dramatic poem in Russian by A. Radovsky “Exodus” was published in the Jerusalem magazine “Menorah” (No. 5, 6, 7).

KEE, volume: 5.
Col.: 404–422.
Published: 1990.

Who the prophet Moses is can be found out from the Bible. His life story is set out in the Old Testament. According to the Holy Scriptures, this is the central character of the events that determined the fate of the Jewish people as God's chosen people.

He is called the God-Seer because he communicated directly with God. It was to Moses, according to the biblical legend, that the Lord handed the tablets - stone slabs, on which the Ten Commandments were carved, which later became the basis of Christian morality.

Prophet Moses the Seer of God - a short life

The biography of this extraordinary man, who lived several thousand years ago, is of great interest to this day both for professional researchers of biblical history and for ordinary people becoming familiar with the Holy Scriptures.

This is what the saint’s biography briefly retold looks like.

Birth of Moses

Having come to power in the prophet's homeland, Egypt, where Jews lived at that time, Pharaoh Ramses II, whom historians give an extremely harsh description, feared that in the event of war, foreigners would betray him and go over to the side of his opponents. Pharaoh began to pursue a policy of genocide, forcing the Israelis to do hard work, and also ordered the killing of all newborn boys in Jewish families.

This order came into force on the eve of the birth of Moses, who became the third child in the family of Amram and his wife Jochebed - the future prophet had a brother Aaron and a sister Miriam.

Childhood and youth

His parents managed to hide the fact of his birth. Realizing that it would be impossible to do this much longer, and in order to save the baby, the parents put the baby in a basket and hid it in the thickets of papyrus off the banks of the Nile. The Pharaoh's daughter, who came with her maids to the river bank, accidentally found the basket. Knowing about her father's order, the princess understood who the child was, but, struck by the beauty of the baby, she decided to take the child into her upbringing.

The baby did not want to take the breast of any nurse, then Mariam, Moses’ sister, came up and offered to find a nurse for the baby. She became the boy's own mother. The woman then brought the boy to the palace as the adopted son of the pharaoh's daughter. He lived there until he became an adult. However, the young man knew about his origins and never worshiped the Egyptian gods.

Escape to the Desert

Once he saw an Egyptian beating a Jew, and, defending his fellow tribesman, accidentally killed the attacker. Fleeing from persecution, the adopted son of the princess flees through the desert to the land of Midian, finds shelter in the house of the priest of this people and becomes the husband of his daughter.

How many years did the prophet need to mature physically and spiritually for the main feat of his life - leading the Jewish people out of Egyptian slavery? During the flight from Egypt, Moses turned forty, and he lived the same amount of time in Midian, so by the time of the exodus he was already 80.

Calling Moses by God

One day, when the saint was tending his father-in-law’s sheep near Mount Horeb, the Lord appeared in the form of a burning but not consumed thorn bush. When the shepherd tried to approach and take a closer look at this miracle, he heard the voice of God ordering him not to approach. The voice called on the saint to return to Egypt to lead the Jews out of captivity.

In order to strengthen the spirit of the prophet, God made the rod (shepherd's crook) in the prophet's hand turn into a snake. The Lord warned his chosen one to be prepared for difficulties, since the embittered Pharaoh would not agree to release the Jews. Since the prophet had a speech impediment, the Lord sent Brother Aaron with him.

Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh

Pharaoh was no longer the same ruler from whom the future prophet ran away forty years ago. In response to Moses' demand to give the Jews the opportunity to leave Egypt, Pharaoh only laughed and increased the labor obligation of his slaves.

But Moses did not leave the king alone, demanding freedom for his fellow tribesmen.

Having received another refusal, he threatened Pharaoh with terrible punishment from God. Pharaoh did not believe it, but the threat became a reality: the Lord, by the hand of Moses, began to send “plagues,” i.e., punishments, against the Egyptians.

Ten Plagues

First, as the legend says, the punishment became blood, when all the water in the Nile and other reservoirs turned into blood, “stank” (rotten), and it became impossible to drink. At the same time, in Jewish homes it remained clean and transparent. The Egyptians were forced to buy drinking water from their slaves.

But Pharaoh did not believe that this was God’s punishment, but attributed the damage to the water to witchcraft. He called for help from his sorcerers, who also managed to transform what he had bought from the Jews. clean water into the blood.

Second The Egyptian execution was an invasion of toads (frogs) that came out of the water and filled the entire earth, crawling into the houses of the Egyptians. Toads were everywhere - on the floor and on the walls, in the bed and dishes. The witchcraft of the Egyptian priests, who tried to rid the country of toads, led to an even greater increase in their number.

Pharaoh began to ask Moses to pray for him before the Lord, so that He would return the frogs back to the rivers, promising to release the Jews. The request was fulfilled, but the ruler broke his word and did not release the prophet’s fellow tribesmen.

Third the execution was an invasion of midges that covered the surface of the earth, attacking people and livestock.

This time the Magi themselves, realizing their powerlessness, recognized this punishment as the finger of God and called on the ruler to agree to the demand of the leader of the Jews, but Pharaoh again refused.

Fourth was the punishment of “dog flies” - insects that combined the persistence of flies and the aggressiveness of dogs. It was a type of gadfly that pierced the skin of people and animals, leaving behind bleeding wounds. And no one could hide from them anywhere.

Only the area of Goshen, where the Israelis lived compactly, was free from dog flies. Thus, the Creator showed that all these disasters are not just an “ecological catastrophe”, but the Lord’s punishment, which is selective in nature.

Fifth the execution was a cattle pestilence that affected domestic animals throughout Egypt. Only the cattle in the Jewish barns survived.

Sixth plague“Moses and Aaron, taking a handful of soot in their hands, threw it in front of Pharaoh, after which the ruler himself and all his subjects, as well as their animals, were covered with sores and boils. Frightened, Pharaoh decided to let the Jews go, but again changed his mind.

Seventh the execution was a hail of fire, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Pharaoh again began to ask God for mercy for Egypt, again promising to let the Jews leave freely, and did not keep his word.

Eighth execution - the wind brought clouds of locusts from the desert, which destroyed all the green growth on the earth, not only cultivated plants, but also ordinary grass. The same story repeated itself - first the ruler calls on God's mercy, promising to fulfill the demands of Moses and Aaron, then forgets about his promises.

WITH ninth With the execution, darkness fell over the country, which neither candles nor torches could dispel. The darkness was so thick and dense that you could touch it with your hands.

Tenth and the last Egyptian plague was the death of the firstborn in all Egyptian families, from the heir to the pharaoh's throne, to the first-born son of a prisoner in prison. The firstborn of all the Egyptians' domestic animals also perished.

This happened over the course of just one night. And all the children and animals of the Israelites were alive and unharmed, since God, through the prophet, ordered the Jews to smear the doorposts of their houses with the blood of a sacrificial lamb so that the Angel - the executor of God's punishment - would not enter inside.

Establishment of Easter holiday

After the tenth plague, Pharaoh finally allowed the Jews, led by Moses and Aaron, to leave Egypt. In memory of this event, Jews established special holiday- Pesach, exodus, or Jewish Passover, which became the prototype of the Christian one.

On Passover, every Jewish family has a meal at which lamb meat prepared in a special way is served, in memory of the sacrificial lamb whose blood was smeared on the doorposts of Jewish houses.

Exodus of Moses from Egypt. Crossing the Red Sea

After the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity, He ordered the Jews to go to the land of Canaan. The shortest way there lay through the territory occupied by the warlike tribe of the Philistines, but the Jews, weakened by captivity and hard work, could not overcome it.

The Slavic translation of the Bible says that the prophet led the people to the Red Sea, but which sea is meant is not immediately clear. The fact is that the Slavs called the Red Sea, which is a narrow bay of the Indian Ocean, Red Sea.

Having come to his senses after all the disasters he had experienced, the pharaoh, whose pride was wounded by the fact that he had to give in, equipped his war chariots and chased after those who had gone, wanting to take revenge for the humiliation. Caught between the ruler's army and sea waters, the Jews prepared for death.

God did not leave them here either: He sent a wind that parted the waters, exposing the seabed in the narrowest place, and all the people, led by the prophet, walked along it to the other side. The memory of this transition has been preserved to this day not only in the Holy Scriptures, but also in the legends and parables of the Israelis.

Seeing how easily Moses and his people crossed the deep sea, Pharaoh set off after him, hoping to also “slip through.” But the heavy chariots got stuck in the wet sea sand, and as soon as the last Israelite set foot on the opposite shore, the wind changed, the waters returned to their place, and Pharaoh’s army perished.

Miracles that Moses performs

In the desert, people did not have enough food, and in the evenings, during rest periods, they began to grumble, remembering that in Egypt they always had meat. Suddenly flocks of quails descended from the sky, covering the entire camp, and by morning dew fell. After the moisture evaporated, something resembling cereal remained on the ground, which the Israelis called manna.

The food tasted like wheat cake with honey. This miracle was repeated every morning throughout the journey.

Then the people began to suffer from thirst, and again reproaches fell on the leader - why did he take them out of Egypt, where there was always plenty of water. Then, with God's help, the prophet extracted water from the stone. At the same time, angry with the people and losing his temper, he transgressed the will of God for the only time in his entire life - instead of calling out to the rock, he hit it with his staff.

When a spring gushed out from there, people began to believe that it was not the Lord, but Moses himself who gave them water. This act of the prophet became the reason why the saint did not enter the promised land.

The next test was the battle with the Amalekites. The Israelites fought against them under the command of Joshua, and the prophet watched the progress of the battle, standing on a hill with a rod in his hands. When he raised his hands, the Israelis gained the upper hand, and when he lowered them, they retreated.

To ensure victory for the tribesmen in the battle, which lasted from dawn to sunset, Aaron and one of his assistants, Hor, supported the tired hands of the prophet. After the victory, God told the prophet to record this event in a book.

Sinai Covenant and 10 Commandments

Three months after the exodus from Egypt, the Jews approached Mount Sinai. God warned the saint that here He would come down to the people. In preparation for the meeting, Israelis must wash themselves, change into clean clothes and, while fasting, abstain from the marital bed.

On the appointed day, amid thunder and lightning, a dark cloud appeared over the top of the mountain and a rumble was heard, reminiscent of the sound of a trumpet. The whole mountain shook, and the people were very afraid - they realized that it was the voice of God speaking to Moses.

The Lord ordered the prophet to ascend the mountain. The leader of the Israelites began to rise, but the people remained below. When the prophet stood before the face of God, He handed him the tablets.

The Wrath of Moses

The leader was absent for 40 days, and everyone began to consider him dead. At the request of the people, Aaron created an idol - a golden calf, similar to the Egyptian idols, which people began to worship, thereby violating the main commandments of God.

The returning prophet in anger destroyed the idol and broke the tablets of the covenant. His despair knew no bounds - he understood that the Lord could turn away from the Israelis who had committed such a grave sin as apostasy.

The prophet returned to Mount Sinai and began to pray to God for the forgiveness of his fellow tribesmen. If He does not want to forgive the Israelites, then the saint is ready to share responsibility with them - let Him cross out his name from His book.

Through the fervent prayer of Moses, which lasted 40 days, the Lord restored His covenant with the chosen people. He confirmed all his promises, and also ordered new tablets to be made and the 10 commandments written on them.

Having accomplished his feat of prayer, the prophet descended from Sinai. His face shone so brightly after communicating with the Lord that he had to cover it with a veil so as not to blind the Israelites.

Construction and dedication of the Tabernacle

Soon after receiving the tablets, the Lord gave the Jews instructions to build a Tabernacle - a camp church. The tablets were placed in the ark and brought into the Tabernacle.

The place where it was installed was covered with a cloud, which became visible sign God's presence. When the cloud rose up, it was a sign that it was time for the people to move on.

End of wandering. Death of Moses

The Israelites continued to express outrage from time to time for various reasons, saddening the prophet and provoking the wrath of God, who ordered the Jews to wander in the desert for 40 years until those who became troublemakers and did not believe in divine providence passed away.

Finally, this period ended - people approached the borders of the promised land. God took Moses to Mount Nebo and showed it to him. After this, Moses blessed his people by turning over the reins of government to Joshua. Soon after this he died.

Conclusion

Accurate information about how long Moses lived has not been preserved in history. Judging by the information given in the Holy Scriptures, the years of Moses' life are about 120 years.

The Moab Valley is mentioned as the place where he was buried, but his grave remains unknown. The Day of Remembrance of the Prophet Moses is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on September 17 according to the new style.

Etc.) - leader and legislator of the Jewish people, prophet and first sacred writer of everyday life. He was born in Egypt 1574 or 1576 years BC and was the son of Amram and Jochebed. When Moses was born, his mother, Jochebed, hid him for some time from the general beating of Jewish male infants by order of Pharaoh; but when it was no longer possible to hide it, she took him out to the river and placed him in a basket made of reeds and tarred with asphalt and resin near the bank of the Nile River in a reed, and Moses’ sister watched in the distance what would happen to him. Pharaoh's daughter, c. Egyptian, went out to the river to wash and here she saw a basket, heard the cry of a child, took pity on him and decided to save his life. Thus, taken from the water, he, at the suggestion of Moses' sister, was given to be raised by his mother. When the baby grew up, the mother introduced him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he was with her instead of a son, and while in the royal palace, he was taught all the Egyptian wisdom (,). According to Josephus, he was even made commander of the Egyptian army against the Ethiopians who invaded Egypt as far as Memphis, and successfully defeated them (Ancient Book II, Chapter 10). Despite, however, his advantageous position under Pharaoh, Moses, according to the word of the apostle, He wanted to suffer with the people of God better than to have temporary sinful pleasure, and he considered the reproach of Christ to be greater wealth for himself than the treasures of Egypt(). He was already 40 years old, and then one day it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. Then he saw their hard work and how much the Jews suffered from the Egyptians. It happened one day that he stood up for a Jew who was being beaten by an Egyptian and, in the heat of battle, killed him, and there was no one there except the offended Jew. The next day he saw two Jews quarreling among themselves and began to convince them, like brothers, to live in harmony. But the one who offended his neighbor pushed him away: who made you a leader and judge over us? he said. Don't you want to kill me too, like you killed the Egyptian yesterday?(). Hearing this, Moses, fearing that rumors of this might reach Pharaoh, fled to the land of Midian. In the house of the Midian priest Jethro, he married his daughter Zipporah and spent 40 years here. While tending his father-in-law's flock, he walked with the flock far into the desert and came to the mountain of God, Horeb (). He saw an extraordinary phenomenon here, namely: a thorn bush all in flames, burning and not being consumed. Approaching the bush, he heard the voice of the Lord from the middle of the bush, commanding him to take off his shoes from his feet, since the place on which he stood was holy ground. Moses hastily took off his shoes and covered his face in fear. Then he was given a command from God to go to Pharaoh to free the Israelites. Fearing his unworthiness and imagining various difficulties, Moses several times renounced this great embassy, but the Lord encouraged him with His presence and His help, revealing His name to him: Jehovah (Jehovah) and as proof of His power, He turned the rod that was in the hands of Moses into a serpent, and again turned the serpent into a rod; then Moses, at the command of God, put his hand in his bosom, and his hand turned white from leprosy like snow; according to the new command, he again put his hand in his bosom, took it out, and she was healthy. The Lord appointed his brother Aaron as an assistant to Moses. Then Moses unquestioningly obeyed the calling of the Lord. Together with his brother Aaron, he appeared before the face of Pharaoh, c. Egyptian, and on behalf of Jehovah they asked him to release the Jews from Egypt for three days to make sacrifices in the desert. Pharaoh, as the Lord predicted to Moses, refused them this. Then the Lord struck the Egyptians with terrible plagues, the last of which was the beating of all the firstborn of the Egyptians by an angel in one night. This terrible execution finally broke the Pharaoh’s stubbornness. He allowed the Jews to leave Egypt into the desert for three days to pray and take their livestock, both small and large. And the Egyptians urged the people to quickly send them out of that land; for, they said, we will all die. The Jews, having celebrated the Passover on the last night, at the command of God, left Egypt among 600,000 men with all their property, and, despite all the haste, they did not forget to take with them the bones of Joseph and some other patriarchs, as Joseph had bequeathed. He himself showed them where to direct their path: He walked before them during the day in a pillar of cloud, and at night in a pillar of fire, illuminating their path (Ex. XIII, 21, 22). Pharaoh and the Egyptians soon repented that they had let the Jews go, and set off with their army to catch up with them and were already approaching their camp near the Red Sea. Then the Lord commanded Moses to take his rod and divide the sea so that the children of Israel could walk through the sea on dry land. Moses acted in accordance with the command of God, and the sea was divided, and a dry bottom was revealed. The children of Israel walked through the sea on dry ground, so that the waters became a wall to them on the right and on the left. The Egyptians followed them into the middle of the sea, but, dismayed by God, they began to flee back. Then Moses, when the Israelites had already reached the shore, again stretched out his hand to the sea, and the waters returned again to their place and covered Pharaoh with all his army and his chariots and horsemen; not a single one of them remained to speak in Egypt about this terrible death. On the seashore, Moses and all the people solemnly sang a song of thanksgiving to God: I sing to the Lord, for He was exalted on high, He cast horse and rider into the sea, and Mariam and all the women, striking the timbrels, sang: Sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted (). Moses led the Jews to the Promised Land through the Arabian Desert. They walked through the desert of Sur for three days and found no water except bitter water (Merrah). sweetened this water, commanding Moses to put the tree He indicated into it. In the desert of Sin, as a result of the people's grumbling about the lack of food and their demand for meat food, God sent them many quails and from that time and for the next forty years God sent them manna from heaven every day. In Rephidim, due to a lack of water and the murmuring of the people, Moses, at the command of God, brought water out of the rock of Mount Horeb, striking it with his rod. Here the Amalekites made an attack on the Jews, but were defeated by the prayer of Moses, who throughout the battle prayed on the mountain, raising his hands to God (). In the third month after the exodus from Egypt, the Jews finally approached the foot of Mount Sinai and camped opposite the mountain. On the third day, at the command of God, the people were placed by Moses near the mountain, at some distance from it, with a strict prohibition not to approach it closer than a certain line. On the morning of the third day there were thunderclaps, lightning began to flash, a strong trumpet sound was heard, Mount Sinai was all smoking, because the Lord descended on it in fire and smoke rose from it like smoke from a furnace. This was how the presence of God on Sinai was marked. And at that time the Lord spoke in the hearing of all the people the Ten Commandments of the Law of God. Then Moses ascended the mountain, received laws from the Lord regarding church and civil improvement, and when he came down from the mountain, he reported all this to the people and wrote everything in a book. Then, after sprinkling the people with blood and reading the book of the Covenant, Moses again, at the command of God, ascended the mountain, and spent forty days and forty nights there, and received detailed instructions from God about the construction of the Tabernacle and the altar and about everything related to worship, in conclusion two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments inscribed on them (). Upon returning from the mountain, Moses saw that the people, left to their own devices, had fallen into the terrible crime of idolatry before the golden calf, idolized in Egypt. In the heat of indignation, he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them, and burned the golden calf in the fire and scattered the ashes in the water, which he gave to drink. Moreover, by the command of Moses, three thousand people, the main culprits of the crime, fell by the sword of the sons of Levi that day. After this, Moses hurried back to the mountain to beg the Lord to forgive the people for their iniquity and again stayed there forty days and forty nights, did not eat bread or drink water, and the Lord bowed to mercy. Excited by this mercy, Moses had the boldness to ask God to show him His glory in the highest way. And once again he was ordered to ascend the mountain with the prepared tablets, and he again spent 40 days there in fasting. At this time, the Lord descended in a cloud and passed before him with His glory. Moses fell to the ground in awe. The reflection of the glory of God was reflected on his face, and when he came down from the mountain, the people could not look at him; why he wore a veil over his face, which he took off when he appeared before the Lord. Six months after this, the Tabernacle was built and consecrated with all its accessories with sacred oil. Aaron and his sons were appointed to serve in the Tabernacle, and soon the entire tribe of Levi was separated to help them (,). Finally, on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, a cloud rose from the Tabernacle, and the Jews moved on their further journey, staying at Mount Sinai for about a year (). Their further wandering was accompanied by numerous temptations, grumbling, cowardice and the death of the people, but at the same time it represented a continuous series of miracles and mercy of the Lord towards His chosen people. So, for example, in the Paran desert the people grumbled about the lack of meat and fish: Now our soul is languishing; there is nothing, only manna in our eyes , they said reproachfully to Moses. As punishment for this, part of the camp was destroyed by fire sent from God. But this did little to enlighten the dissatisfied. Soon they began to neglect manna and demanded meat food for themselves. Then the Lord raised up a strong wind, which brought huge numbers of quails from the sea. The people rushed greedily to collect quails, collected them day and night and ate until they were satiated. But this whim and satiety was the cause of the death of many of them, and the place where many people died from a terrible plague was called the tombs of lust, or whim. In the next camp, Moses experienced trouble from his own relatives, Aaron and Miriam, but exalted him as his faithful servant throughout His entire House (). Continuing their journey further, the Jews approached the Promised Land and could soon have taken possession of it if their unbelief and cowardice had not prevented this. In the desert of Paran, in Kadesh, the most outrageous murmur occurred when from 12 spies sent to inspect the Promised Land, the Jews heard about the great power, the great growth of the inhabitants of that land and its fortified cities. With this indignation, they wanted to stone even Moses himself and Aaron with two of the spies and choose a new leader for themselves to return to Egypt. Then the Lord condemned them for this to a 40-year wandering, so that all of them had to die in the desert for over 20 years, except for Joshua and Caleb (). Then followed a new indignation of Korah, Dathan and Abiron against Moses and Aaron himself, punished by the Lord with terrible executions, and the priesthood was again confirmed for the house of Aaron (). The Jews wandered through the desert for more than thirty years, and almost all those who left Egypt died. With the onset of the fortieth year after leaving Egypt, they appear in Kadesh, in the desert of Sin on the border of the land of Idumea. Here, due to the lack of water, the people again grumbled against Moses and Aaron, who turned to the Lord in prayer. The Lord heeded the prayer and ordered Moses and Aaron to gather the community and, with a rod in their hands, command the rock to give water. Moses struck the rock twice with his rod, and a lot of water flowed out. But since in this case Moses, as if not trusting one of his words, struck with the rod and acted contrary to the will of God, then for this he and Aaron were condemned to die outside the Promised Land (). On the further journey, Aaron died near Mount Hor, having previously transferred the high priesthood to his son, Eleazar (). At the end of the journey, the people again began to be faint-hearted and grumble. As punishment for this, God sent poisonous snakes against him and, when they repented, he commanded Moses to erect a copper serpent on a tree to heal them (,). Approaching the borders of the Amorites, the Jews defeated Sihon, c. Amorite, and Og, c. Bashan, and, having occupied their lands, they set up their camp against Jericho. For the fornication with the daughters of Moab and the idolatry in which the Jews were involved by the Moabites and Midianites, 24,000 of them died, and others were hanged by the command of God. Finally, since Moses himself, like Aaron, was not worthy to enter the Promised Land, he asked the Lord to show him a worthy successor, which is why a successor was shown to him in the person of Joshua, on whom he laid his hands before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community. own(). Thus, Moses conveyed to him his title in front of all Israel, made orders for the possession and division of the Promised Land, repeated to the people the laws given by God at different times, inspiring them to keep them sacred and touchingly reminding them of the many different benefits of God during their forty-year wandering. He wrote all his admonitions, the repeated law and his final orders in a book and gave it to the priests to keep at the Ark of the Covenant, making it a duty to read it to the people every seventh year on the Feast of Tabernacles. IN last time, being called before the Tabernacle, together with his successor, he received a revelation from God about the future ingratitude of the people and conveyed this to him in an accusatory and edifying song. Finally, he was called to Mount Nebo to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, having seen from afar the Promised Land shown to him by the Lord, and died on the mountain at the age of 120. His body was buried in a valley near Bethegor, but no one knows the place of his burial even to this day, says the writer of everyday life (). The people honored his death with thirty days of mourning. The saint commemorates the prophet and seer of God Moses on the 4th day of September. In the book. Deuteronomy, after his death, speaks of him in a prophetic spirit (perhaps this is the word of Moses’ successor, Joshua): And Israel no longer had a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face (). St. Isaiah says that centuries later, the people of God, during the days of their tribulations, remembered with reverence before God the times of Moses, when the Lord saved Israel by his hand (Isa. LXIII, 11-13). As a leader, legislator and prophet, Moses lived in the memory of the people at all times. His memory in the most recent times was always blessed, never dying among the people of Israel (Sir. XLV, 1-6). In the New Testament, Moses, as the great lawgiver, and Elijah, as the representative of the prophets, appear conversing in glory with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration (,). The great name of Moses cannot lose its important and for all Christians, and for the entire enlightened world: he lives among us in his sacred books, he was the first Divinely inspired writer.