Chapter 76 opens with Moses reigning as king in Cush, apparently thriving and ruling with justice for forty years! According to Jasher, "all the children of Cush loved Moses… and all the inhabitants of the land… were greatly afraid of him." Sounds like a good king, right?

But trouble was brewing. Queen Adoniah, wife of the previous king, stirred things up. She pointed out the obvious: Moses hadn't exactly embraced Cushite culture, nor had he shown her any…ahem…kingly attention. "For forty years," she declares, "this man has not approached me, nor has he served the gods of the children of Cush." Ouch. Double ouch!

Adoniah argued that her son, Menacrus, would be a much better fit. And wouldn’t you know it, the people listened. So, after forty years of rule, the Cushites replaced Moses with Menacrus.

Now, get this: The people of Cush were afraid to harm Moses, because "the Lord was with Moses." Plus, they remembered the oath they’d sworn to him. So, instead of a coup, they sent him off with presents and great honor! Can you imagine that? A peaceful transition of power, complete with parting gifts? It sounds almost…civilized.

The Book of Jasher says this was all part of God’s plan. "The thing was from the Lord," the text explains, "for the period had arrived which he had appointed in the days of old, to bring forth Israel from the affliction of the children of Ham." It was time for Moses to move on to his true destiny.

So, where does a former king go? Midian, apparently. Fearing to return to Egypt because of Pharaoh, Moses ends up at a well, where he encounters the seven daughters of Reuel, a Midianite priest. Some shepherds were giving them trouble, and good ol’ Moses steps in, helps them water their flock, and earns himself an invitation to their home.

He tells Reuel about his adventures in Egypt and Cush. Reuel, being the cautious type, decides to throw Moses in prison, thinking it would curry favor with the Cushites. Talk about gratitude!

But wait, there's more! Moses spends ten years in the slammer. The only bright spot? Reuel’s daughter, Zipporah, takes pity on him and secretly provides him with food and water. This is, of course, the Zipporah who later becomes Moses' wife. So, prison wasn’t all bad, I guess.

Meanwhile, back in Egypt, things are going from bad to worse for the Israelites. The Book of Jasher emphasizes the severity of their suffering. Pharaoh, you see, has come down with a nasty case of leprosy, "from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head," as the text vividly puts it.

His wise men suggest a truly horrific cure: the blood of little children. Pharaoh, in his desperation, agrees. The text tells us that a staggering 375 Israelite children were murdered for this macabre experiment.

But, surprise, surprise, it doesn't work. God doesn't listen to the physicians of Pharaoh, and the plague only gets worse. For ten years, Pharaoh suffers, and then things really escalate. He gets tumors, stomach sickness, and boils.

His ministers report that the Israelites are slacking off at work, likely due to Pharaoh’s illness. Enraged, Pharaoh decides to go see for himself. But on the way, his horse falls, the chariot overturns, and Pharaoh is severely injured. The text is quite graphic: "The flesh of the king was torn from him, and his bones were broken."

Knowing his end is near, Pharaoh appoints his son Adikam as his successor. The Book of Jasher makes a point of describing Adikam as "cunning and wise" but also "of unseemly aspect, thick in flesh, and very short in stature; his height was one cubit." You can almost picture him, can't you?

Pharaoh dies "in shame, disgrace, and disgust," and is buried without the usual embalming because his flesh was so putrid. The Book of Jasher is clear: this was divine retribution for his cruelty to the Israelites. "For the Lord had requited him evil for the evil which in his days he had done to Israel."

So, there you have it. Moses’ unlikely reign in Cush, his stint in a Midianite prison, and the gruesome demise of Pharaoh. The stage is now set for the Exodus. The Book of Jasher gives us a glimpse into the backstory, filling in the gaps and reminding us that even before the burning bush, Moses' life was anything but ordinary. It makes you wonder: what seemingly random events in our lives are actually part of a larger plan?