Moses (English: Moses; Hebrew: Mashah, BC13rd century), translated from Protestantism to Moses, and from Catholicism to Moses. Born in Egypt, he is the leader of the Israeli nation and the founder of Judaism. The etymology of the name Moses comes from Egypt, meaning "child" or "son". If it means Hebrew, it means "pull out of the water". The life, life and deeds of Moses can only be found in the Bible. Apart from the Bible, there is no mention of Moses, which is consistent with the era in which Moses lived and the geographical location of his activities.
Therefore, according to the Bible, the number of Israeli immigrants to Egypt has increased and become stronger, posing a threat to the Egyptians. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, ordered the Israelites to do hard labor and asked the midwives of the Israelites to kill the newborn baby boy. Moses' mother hid the newborn baby boy for three months until she couldn't hide it. She made a waterproof cattail box, put the baby boy in the box, and put the box in the reeds beside the Nile. When Pharaoh's daughter went to the river to take a bath, she saw the box, opened the box and saw the baby boy inside. She knew it must be an Israeli child, but she pitied and adopted him, became her adopted son, and named him Moses. She hired Moses' biological mother as a wet nurse and didn't return to Pharaoh's daughter until Moses was weaned.
When Moses grew up, he learned all the knowledge of the Egyptians and was very talented in speaking and doing things. When he saw the conflict between the Egyptians and the Israelis, he killed the Egyptians on impulse. Pharaoh heard this and wanted to kill Moses. He fled to Midian in the desert to escape the Pharaoh's pursuit. There, he herded sheep for Jethro, a priest, and married Zippora, the daughter of Jethro. When Moses was herding sheep in the wilderness, he saw the burned thorns and heard God calling him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and live in Canaan, now Palestine.
Pharaoh made things difficult for Moses three times and twice, and nine consecutive natural disasters could not change Pharaoh's mind. It was not until the tenth disaster that all the firstborn in Egypt, including Pharaoh's firstborn, died that Pharaoh allowed the Israelites to leave. Shortly after they left, Pharaoh regretted it and sent troops to pursue it. At that time, the Israelites gathered in the Red Sea, and Moses' walking stick reached the Red Sea. The sea was divided, and a path was exposed under the sea. People came to the other side along the road in the sea. When the Egyptian army arrived and entered the Red Sea, the sea was restored and the army was destroyed.
When the Israelites stayed at the foot of Mount Sinai, God appeared to them, made a covenant with them, and promulgated the Ten Commandments and laws to guide their religious beliefs and life. The Israelites walked in the wilderness for forty years until they came to the land of Canaan. Moses died at 120. When he died, he was alert and clear-sighted, and his spirit was not failing. After mourning for Moses for 30 days, Joshua (BC 1355- 1245), Moses' successor, led the Israelites into Canaan.
The most well-known story of Moses is that he led the Israelites out of Egypt and promulgated the Ten Commandments and laws to guide their religious beliefs and life. Only from the history of Israel can we see the significance of all the events that Moses experienced, and we cannot separate Moses from the history of Israel. The first five volumes of the Old Testament are condensed versions of the early national history of Israel, collectively known as the Five Books of Moses, which are classics that teach Israelis how to build a prosperous society and country. In the 20th century, after the rise of Critique of the Bible, which investigates, studies and judges the text of the Bible, it was found that these five volumes were not all written by Moses, but by four theologian groups, namely: Jehovah, who is called God with Man; Call God Elohim of Luo Xing; Adhering to the tradition of priests is the book of priests); Maintain and guide the orthodox religious beliefs of Israelis; Deuteronomy reaffirms the agreement between God and Israel and guides the Israelites to live a godly life.
With the change of religious and political situation, the four groups of theologians have got a new evaluation and a different look, so four images of Moses have appeared. Moses was a shepherd inspired by God and an instrument of the LORD. Moses of Ironside was a miracle prophet. Entrusted by God, he actively participated in people's lives and turned history around. In the priestly canon, Moses talked face to face with God alone and was the spokesman of God's word. Moses in Deuteronomy is the intermediary between Israel and God. He not only preached the word of God, but also prayed for the sinful Israelis, even willing to suffer instead of them. From different angles, Moses has different faces, but all four faces are the same Moses. Moses was the leader of the Israeli nation and the founder of Judaism. He is both a leader and a pioneer, making Israel the first nation in the world to believe in monotheism.
author
Pan Xinyi (Ph.D., Institute of Religion, Fu Jen Catholic University)