Content provided in partnership with

Moses and Jesus: the birth of the Savior

Judaism, Wntr, 1993 by Allan Kensky

THE ACCOUNT OF THE BIRTH OF MOSES IN the Book of Exodus is extremely brief. In the space of the first three short verses in Chapter 2 we read that a man of the house of Levi takes a daughter of Levi, who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son. The boy is hidden for three months and is then sent down the river. Other details, such as the parents' names and the existence of other siblings, are omitted as the text focuses all dramatic attention on the birth of the child and his subsequent well-being. We first hear that the child has an older sister when we read in verse 4 that she stood by watching as he floated down the river. We are told the names of Moses' parents in Chapter 6 verse 20, after God reveals Himself to Moses and appoints him messenger to deliver the Israelites from Egypt.

Most Popular Articles in Reference: The importance of understanding organizational culture; Credit card attitudes and behaviors of college students; What factors attract foreign direct investment?; Libraries Need Relationship Marketing - mutual interest marketing concept, ...; How to set performance goals: employee reviews are more than annual critiques; More »

Even in the terse Biblical account, there are wondrous aspects to Moses' birth and infancy. When he was born he was seen by his mother as a goodly child, ki tov, a usage which echoes the ki tov spoken by God at the Creation of the universe. Further, Moses escaped the fate of the other male children. The Midrash embellishes the wondrous aspects of the story. Legends about the birth of Moses are found in the Babylonian Talmud and the later Midrashic collections, including Exodus Rabbah, Midrash ha-Gadol, Yalkut Shimoni, and Sefer ha-Yashar. Parallels to much of the material are found in Josephus, pointing to the antiquity of many of the legends.

Through the picture that the rabbis created, the greatness of Moses can already be detected in his infancy; it can also be seen in the special circumstances of his birth. As has been noted, similar stories about prophets and great teachers are found in other religions: the birth of the prophet or teacher is attended with signs and miracles; frequently the child overcomes early dangers to his life. He shows surprising knowledge in his youth.(1)

The Midrash connects the birth of Moses with the decrees of Pharaoh, or, rather, it connects the decrees of Pharaoh with the prediction of the coming birth of the Hebrew savior. Of this prediction there are several versions. According to the Jerusalem Targum (on Exodus 1: 15), Pharaoh had a dream in which he dreamt that all of Egypt was on one scale and a young goat was on the other. The latter outweighed the former. This dream was interpreted to Pharaoh to mean that an Israelite child would be born who would destroy all of Egypt. Josephus relates that the announcement to Pharaoh of the birth of this child is made by one of the sacred scribes (Antiquities II, 1. 205); in Exodus Rabbah (I, 22), Pharaoh is informed of the impending birth of a redeemer by his astrologers. In response to this announcement, Pharaoh issues a decree to the entire nation, or, alternatively, only to the Israelites, to cast their

male-children into the river (B. Sotah 12a, Exodus Rabbah I, 18; cf. Ex. 1:22).

At this point, according to a tradition of Tannaitic provenance, Amram, one of the leaders of his generation, divorces his wife, Yokheved, reasoning that it is useless to chance having children if all male-children are to be killed. Other Israelite men follow Amram's course of action, but his daughter, Miriam, rises to reproach her father. "Father," she says, "your decree is worse than that of Pharaoh -- Pharaoh has decreed only against the male-children, but you decree against both males and females ...." In response to this reproach, Amram retakes his wife.

The concept of a remarriage of Amram and Yokheved helps explain the presence of an older sister in the birth story. At the same time it explains why the birth of Moses is presented as if it were the birth of a first child. The reason is that Moses is the first child born after the remarriage of his parents.

The ceremony of remarriage in which Amram retook Yokheved was no ordinary one. According to Rabbi Judah ben Zevina in the Babylonian Talmud (Sotah 12a), Amram placed Yokheved in a palanquin. Aaron and Miriam danced before her, while ministering angels sang a verse from Psalm 113, "The mother of the children is happy."

It is worth noting several rabbinic traditions regarding Amram and Yokheved. Both are considered righteous. Amram is one of four people who died, not on account of his own sins, but because of the decree directed against all humankind (B. Baba Batra 17a). He is one of seven people who helped bring the Shekhinah closer to earth (Song of Songs Rabbah 5,1). Yokheved, mother of Moses, is called by that name, meaning God is glorious, because her face reflected the Divine glory (Midrash ha-Gadol on Ex. 2:1).

Extraordinary things happened to Yokheved at that time. The rabbis took bat Levi, daughter of Levi, literally. If Yokheved was the daughter of Levi, she would have been 130 years old at the time of her remarriage, having been born upon the entry of the Israelites into Egypt. So why is she called daughter, signifying a young woman? Because, according to Rabbi Judah ben Zabida (or Zevina), signs of youth were reborn in her: her flesh became smooth, her wrinkles straightened out, and her beauty was restored (B. Baba Batra 120a). Both the conception and childbirth of Moses were painless, for Yokheved was excluded from the decree placed on Eve (Sotah 12a, cf. Josephus Antiquities II, 1.220) -- according to a gloss, by virtue of her righteousness.

Moses and Jesus: the birth of the Savior

Judaism, Wntr, 1993 by Allan Kensky

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Business

Most Popular Articles in Reference

Most Popular Publications in Reference