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. 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
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.
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 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. 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?
Book of Jasher, Chapter 76 1 And Moses the son of Amram was still king in the land of Cush in those days, and he prospered in his kingdom, and he conducted the government of the children of Cush in justice, in righteousness, and integrity. 2 And all the children of Cush loved Moses all the days that he reigned over them, and all the inhabitants of the land of Cush were greatly afraid of him. 3 And in the fortieth year of the reign of Moses over Cush, Moses was sitting on the royal throne whilst Adoniah the queen was before him, and all the nobles were sitting around him. 4 And Adoniah the queen said before the king and the princes, What is this thing which you, the children of Cush, have done for this long time? 5 Surely you know that for forty years that this man has reigned over Cush he has not approached me, nor has he served the gods of the children of Cush. 6 Now therefore hear, O ye children of Cush, and let this man no more reign over you as he is not of our flesh. 7 Behold Menacrus my son is grown up, let him reign over you, for it is better for you to serve the son of your lord, than to serve a stranger, slave of the king of Egypt. 8 And all the people and nobles of the children of Cush heard the words which Adoniah the queen had spoken in their ears. 9 And all the people were preparing until the evening, and in the morning they rose up early and made Menacrus, son of Kikianus, king over them. 10 And all the children of Cush were afraid to stretch forth their hand against Moses, for the Lord was with Moses, and the children of Cush remembered the oath which they swore unto Moses, therefore they did no harm to him. 11 But the children of Cush gave many presents to Moses, and sent him from them with great honor. 12 So Moses went forth from the land of Cush, and went home and ceased to reign over Cush, and Moses was sixty-six years old when he went out of the land of Cush, for the thing was from the Lord, 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. 13 So Moses went to Midian, for he was afraid to return to Egypt on account of Pharaoh, and he went and sat at a well of water in Midian. 14 And the seven daughters of Reuel the Midianite went out to feed their father's flock. 15 And they came to the well and drew water to water their father's flock. 16 So the shepherds of Midian came and drove them away, and Moses rose up and helped them and watered the flock. 17 And they came home to their father Reuel, and told him what Moses did for them. 18 And they said, An Egyptian man has delivered us from the hands of the shepherds, he drew up water for us and watered the flock. 19 And Reuel said to his daughters, And where is he? wherefore have you left the man? 20 And Reuel sent for him and fetched him and brought him home, and he ate bread with him. 21 And Moses related to Reuel that he had fled from Egypt and that he reigned forty years over Cush, and that they afterward had taken the government from him, and had sent him away in peace with honor and with presents. 22 And when Reuel had heard the words of Moses, Reuel said within himself, I will put this man into the prison house, whereby I shall conciliate the children of Cush, for he has fled from them. 23 And they took and put him into the prison house, and Moses was in prison ten years, and whilst Moses was in the prison house, Zipporah the daughter of Reuel took pity over him, and supported him with bread and water all the time. 24 And all the children of Israel were yet in the land of Egypt serving the Egyptians in all manner of hard work, and the hand of Egypt continued in severity over the children of Israel in those days. 25 At that time the Lord smote Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he afflicted with the plague of leprosy from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head; owing to the cruel treatment of the children of Israel was this plague at that time from the Lord upon Pharaoh king of Egypt. 26 For the Lord had hearkened to the prayer of his people the children of Israel, and their cry reached him on account of their hard work. 27 Still his anger did not turn from them, and the hand of Pharaoh was still stretched out against the children of Israel, and Pharaoh hardened his neck before the Lord, and he increased his yoke over the children of Israel, and embittered their lives with all manner of hard work. 28 And when the Lord had inflicted the plague upon Pharaoh king of Egypt, he asked his wise men and sorcerers to cure him. 29 And his wise men and sorcerers said unto him, That if the blood of little children were put into the wounds he would be healed. 30 And Pharaoh hearkened to them, and sent his ministers to Goshen to the children of Israel to take their little children. 31 And Pharaoh's ministers went and took the infants of the children of Israel from the bosoms of their mothers by force, and they brought them to Pharaoh daily, a child each day, and the physicians killed them and applied them to the plague; thus did they all the days. 32 And the number of the children which Pharaoh slew was three hundred and seventy-five. 33 But the Lord hearkened not to the physicians of the king of Egypt, and the plague went on increasing mightily. 34 And Pharaoh was ten years afflicted with that plague, still the heart of Pharaoh was more hardened against the children of Israel. 35 And at the end of ten years the Lord continued to afflict Pharaoh with destructive plagues. 36 And the Lord smote him with a bad tumor and sickness at the stomach, and that plague turned to a severe boil. 37 At that time the two ministers of Pharaoh came from the land of Goshen where all the children of Israel were, and went to the house of Pharaoh and said to him, We have seen the children of Israel slacken in their work and negligent in their labor. 38 And when Pharaoh heard the words of his ministers, his anger was kindled against the children of Israel exceedingly, for he was greatly grieved at his bodily pain. 39 And he answered and said, Now that the children of Israel know that I am ill, they turn and scoff at us, now therefore harness my chariot for me, and I will betake myself to Goshen and will see the scoff of the children of Israel with which they are deriding me; so his servants harnessed the chariot for him. 40 And they took and made him ride upon a horse, for he was not able to ride of himself; 41 And he took with him ten horsemen and ten footmen, and went to the children of Israel to Goshen. 42 And when they had come to the border of Egypt, the king's horse passed into a narrow place, elevated in the hollow part of the vineyard, fenced on both sides, the low, plain country being on the other side. 43 And the horses ran rapidly in that place and pressed each other, and the other horses pressed the king's horse. 44 And the king's horse fell into the low plain whilst the king was riding upon it, and when he fell the chariot turned over the king's face and the horse lay upon the king, and the king cried out, for his flesh was very sore. 45 And the flesh of the king was torn from him, and his bones were broken and he could not ride, for this thing was from the Lord to him, for the Lord had heard the cries of his people the children of Israel and their affliction. 46 And his servants carried him upon their shoulders, a little at a time, and they brought him back to Egypt, and the horsemen who were with him came also back to Egypt. 47 And they placed him in his bed, and the king knew that his end was come to die, so Aparanith the queen his wife came and cried before the king, and the king wept a great weeping with her. 48 And all his nobles and servants came on that day and saw the king in that affliction, and wept a great weeping with him. 49 And the princes of the king and all his counselors advised the king to cause one to reign in his stead in the land, whomsoever he should choose from his sons. 50 And the king had three sons and two daughters which Aparanith the queen his wife had borne to him, besides the king's children of concubines. 51 And these were their names, the firstborn Othri, the second Adikam, and the third Morion, and their sisters, the name of the elder Bathia and of the other Acuzi. 52 And Othri the first born of the king was an idiot, precipitate and hurried in his words. 53 But Adikam was a cunning and wise man and knowing in all the wisdom of Egypt, but of unseemly aspect, thick in flesh, and very short in stature; his height was one cubit. 54 And when the king saw Adikam his son intelligent and wise in all things, the king resolved that he should be king in his stead after his death. 55 And he took for him a wife Gedudah daughter of Abilot, and he was ten years old, and she bare unto him four sons. 56 And he afterward went and took three wives and begat eight sons and three daughters. 57 And the disorder greatly prevailed over the king, and his flesh stank like the flesh of a carcass cast upon the field in summer time, during the heat of the sun. 58 And when the king saw that his sickness had greatly strengthened itself over him, he ordered his son Adikam to be brought to him, and they made him king over the land in his place. 59 And at the end of three years, the king died, in shame, disgrace, and disgust, and his servants carried him and buried him in the sepulcher of the kings of Egypt in Zoan Mizraim. 60 But they embalmed him not as was usual with kings, for his flesh was putrid, and they could not approach to embalm him on account of the stench, so they buried him in haste. 61 For this evil was from the Lord to him, for the Lord had requited him evil for the evil which in his days he had done to Israel. 62 And he died with terror and with shame, and his son Adikam reigned in his place.Next: Chapter 77
