MOSES, the son of Amram and Jochebed, was born in the year 1571 before Christ. Pharaoh, King of Egypt, perceiving that the Hebrews had become a formidable nation, issued an edict commanding all the male children to be put to death. To avoid this cruel decree, Jochebed, the mother of Moses, having concealed her son for three months, at length made an ark or basket of bulrushes, daubed it with pitch, laid the child in it, and exposed him on the banks of the Nile. Thermuthis, the King's daughter, who happened to be walking by the river's side, perceived the floating cradle, commanded it to be brought to her, and being struck with the beauty of the child, determined to preserve his life. In three years afterwards the princess adopted him as her own son, called his name Moses, and caused him to be diligently instructed in all the learning of the Egyptians. But his father and mother, to whom he was restored by a fortunate accident, were at still greater pains to teach him the history and religion of his fathers. When in his fortieth year, Moses left the court of Pharaoh, and went to visit his countrymen the Hebrews, who groaned under the tyranny and oppression of their unfeeling masters. Having perceived an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, he killed the Egyptian, and buried him in the sand. But he was obliged, in consequence of this murder, to fly into the land of Midian, where he married Zipporah, daughter of the priest Jethro, by whom he had two sons, Gershom and Eliezar. Here he lived forty years, during which time he employed himself in tending the flocks of his father-in-law. Having one day led his flock towards Mount Horeb, God appeared to him in the midst of a bush, which burned with fire, but was not consumed, and commanded him to go and deliver his brethren from their bondage. Moses at first refused to go, but was at length prevailed on by two miracles, which the Almighty wrought for his conviction. Upon his return to Egypt, he, together with his brother Aaron, went to the court of Pharaoh, and told him that God commanded him to let the Hebrews go to offer sacrifices in the deserts of Arabia. But the impious monarch disregarded this command, and caused the labour of the Israelites to be doubled. The messengers of the Almighty again returned to the King, and wrought a miracle in his sight, that they might move his heart, and induce him to let the people depart. Aaron having cast down his miraculous rod, it was immediately converted into a serpent; but the same thing being performed by the magicians, the King's heart was more and more hardened; and his obstinacy at last drew down the judgments of the Almighty upon his kingdom, which was
Moses, afflicted with ten dreadful plagues. (See Bryant's Observations on the Plagues inflicted on the Egyptians.) These dreadful calamities at length moved the heart of the hardened Pharaoh, and he consented to allow the people of Israel to depart from his kingdom.
Profligate authors who have spoken of Moses appear to have been in part acquainted with these mighty wonders. That he performed miracles has been allowed by many, by whom he was considered as a famous magician; and he could scarcely appear in any other light to men who did not acknowledge him as the messenger of the Almighty. Both Diodorus and Herodotus mention the distressed state to which Egypt was reduced by these terrible calamities. The Hebrews, amounting to the number of 600,000 men, without reckoning women and children, left Egypt on the 15th day of the month Nisan, which, in memory of this deliverance, was thenceforth reckoned the first month of their year. Scarcely had they reached the shore of the Red Sea, when Pharaoh with a powerful army set out in pursuit of them. On this occasion Moses stretched forth his rod upon the sea, and the waters thereof being divided, remained suspended on both sides till the Hebrews passed through dry-footed. The Egyptians determined to follow the same course; but God caused a violent wind to blow, which brought back the waters to their bed, and the whole army of Pharaoh perished. (See Wilkinson's Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians, vol. i., c. 2.)
After the miraculous passage of the Red Sea, the army proceeded towards Sinai; and after suffering considerable privation, arrived at the foot of that mountain on the 3d day of the ninth month after their departure from Egypt. Moses having ascended several times into the mount, received the law from God in the midst of thunders and lightnings, and concluded the famous covenant between the Lord and the children of Israel. When he descended from Sinai, he found that the people had fallen into the idolatrous worship of the golden calf. The messenger of God, shocked at such ingratitude, broke in pieces the tables of the law which he carried in his hands, and put 23,000 of the transgressors to the sword. He afterwards re-ascended the mountain, and there obtained new tables of stone, upon which the law was inscribed.
Moses having dedicated the tabernacle, consecrated Aaron and his sons to be its ministers, and appointed the Levites to its service. He likewise gave various commands concerning the worship of God and the political government of the Jews. This was a theocracy in the fullest extent of the word. God himself governed them immediately by means of his servant Moses, whom he had chosen to be the interpreter of his will to the people; and he required all the honours belonging to their king to be paid to himself. He dwelt in his tabernacle, which was situated in the middle of the camp, like a monarch in his palace; he gave answers to those who consulted him, and himself denounced punishment against the transgressors of his laws. This was properly the time of the theocracy, taken in its full extent; for God was not only considered as the divinity who formed the object of their religious worship, but as the sovereign to whom the honours of supreme majesty were paid. The case was nearly the same under Joshua, who, being filled with the spirit of Moses, undertook nothing without consulting God. Every measure, both of the leader and of the people, was regulated by the direction of the Almighty, who rewarded their fidelity and obedience by a series of miracles, victories, and successes. After Moses had regulated everything regarding the civil administration and the marching of the troops, he led the Israelites to the confines of Canaan, to the foot of Mount Nebo; and here the Lord commanded him to ascend into the mountain, whence he showed him the promised land, into which he was not permitted to enter. He im-
mediately afterwards yielded up the ghost, in the hundred and twentieth year of his age, and 1451 years before Christ.
Moses is believed to be the author of the first five books of the Old Testament, which go by the name of the Pentateuch, and which both Jews and Christians acknowledge to be inspired. The ninetieth Psalm is also ascribed to him; and some allege that he was the author of the book of Job, but the arguments on this point are not very conclusive. Numerous traditions respecting this celebrated personage are to be met with among the ancient Jews and the later rabbinical writers. (See Philo, Vita Mosis, c. iii.; Josephus, Antiq. ii. 9; Bartolocci, Bibliotheca Rabbina, iv. 115; also Milman's History of the Jews, vol. i., p. 61.) Among the Arabs also legends abound regarding him. (Hottinger, Historia Orientalis, p. 80.) Repeated mention is made of Moses in the Greek and Roman classics, but their accounts of him are generally distorted and fictitious. (See Meier, Judaica, seu veterum Scriptorum profanorum de Rebus Judaicis Fragmenta, Jena, 1832. Concerning the life of Moses, see Warburton's Divine Legation of Moses; Hess, Geschichte Mosis, 2 vols., Zurich, 1778; Niemeyer, Charakteristik der Bibel, vol. iii.)