We know him as the great leader, the lawgiver, the one who led the Israelites out of Egypt. But what about his birth, his infancy, those perilous first months? The Book of Jasher, an ancient text that expands on stories from the Hebrew Bible, gives us a beautiful, detailed account.
It all starts with Miriam. Yes, Moses' sister, a prophetess in her own right. According to the Book of Jasher, "the spirit of God was upon Miriam," and she prophesied that her parents would have a son who would save Israel from Egypt. Imagine the courage it took to utter those words, to hold onto that hope in the face of such oppression!
Her father, Amram, hearing this prophecy, remarries his wife Jochebed, whom he had sent away because of Pharaoh’s decree to kill all male Hebrew children. They reunite, and soon Jochebed conceives. The Book of Jasher tells us that she gave birth after only seven months. And when he was born, their house was filled with "great light as of the light of the sun and moon." A sign, perhaps, of the extraordinary destiny that awaited him.
But joy quickly turned to fear. The Egyptians, growing ever more paranoid, were determined to wipe out the Hebrew population. The text paints a grim picture: Egyptian women would bring their babies to Hebrew homes, and when those babies cried, the hidden Hebrew infants would cry in response, revealing their presence. A terrifying game of cat and mouse, where the stakes were life and death.
For three months, Jochebed hid her son. But the risk was too great. In desperation, she makes a tevah, an “ark” or basket, out of bulrushes, waterproofed with slime and pitch. Sound familiar? It's the same word used for Noah's Ark. She places her baby inside and sets it afloat on the Nile, entrusting him to God's care.
Miriam, ever watchful, positions herself nearby to see what will become of her little brother and her prophecy. Her presence is a testament to her faith, her courage, and her unwavering belief in a better future.
Then comes Pharaoh's daughter, Bathia. She goes to bathe in the river and spots the ark. Upon opening it, she finds the baby and is immediately moved by his cries. "This is one of the Hebrew children," she declares, defying her own father's cruel edict.
But here’s where the story gets even more interesting. According to Jasher, all the Egyptian women nearby try to nurse the baby, but he refuses. It was "from the Lord," the text explains, "in order to restore him to his mother's breast." A divine intervention, ensuring that Moses would be raised by his own family.
And who should be conveniently nearby? Miriam! She approaches Bathia and offers to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. Bathia agrees, and Miriam, of course, brings back Jochebed. Talk about a miraculous turn of events! Jochebed is even paid two bits of silver daily for her services.
For two years, Jochebed nurses and raises her son, instilling in him, we can imagine, the values and traditions of his people. Then, when he is old enough, she brings him to Bathia, who adopts him as her own son and names him Moses, explaining, "Because I drew him out of the water."
But that's not the only name he had! The Book of Jasher lists a whole host of names given to Moses by different family members, each reflecting their own experience and hope connected to his birth. Amram calls him Chabar, because it was for him that he reunited with his wife. Jochebed calls him Jekuthiel, because she hoped for him and God restored him to her. Miriam calls him Jered, because she went down after him to the river. Aaron calls him Abi Zanuch, because his father left his mother and returned to her on his account. Kehath, Amram's father, calls him Abigdor, because on his account did God repair the breach of the house of Jacob. The nurse calls him Abi Socho, saying, In his tabernacle was he hidden for three months. And all Israel calls him Shemaiah, son of Nethanel, for they said, In his days has God heard their cries and rescued them from their oppressors.
Imagine the significance of these names, each a thread in the tapestry of his identity. They speak to the hope, the fear, the faith, and the love that surrounded his birth.
And so, Moses grows up in Pharaoh's house, among the king's children, yet forever connected to his Hebrew roots. His destiny, shaped by prophecy, courage, and divine intervention, is just beginning.
Isn't it amazing how much richness and depth these ancient texts can add to stories we think we already know? The Book of Jasher reminds us that even the most extraordinary lives often begin in the most ordinary, and precarious, of circumstances. And that even in the darkest of times, hope, faith, and a little bit of divine intervention can make all the difference.