The Discovery of Moses is an 1828 painting by French Romantic artist Paul Delaroche. This work is located in the Amsterdam Museum in The Netherlands.
The story of the discovery of Moses
The Discovery of Moses is a pivotal narrative within the broader context of the Biblical story of Moses, primarily found in the Book of Exodus. Its significance extends beyond religious circles, resonating through cultural, literary, and historical realms. In essence, it encapsulates themes of resilience, destiny, and divine intervention.
The narrative begins with the backdrop of ancient Egypt, a land where the Israelites, descendants of Jacob, are enslaved under the tyrannical rule of Pharaoh. Fearing the rapid growth of the Israelite population, Pharaoh orders the killing of all newborn Hebrew boys by drowning them in the Nile River. It’s in this tumultuous time that Moses is born.
Moses’ mother, Jochebed, conceals him for three months, but unable to keep him hidden any longer, she devises a plan. Crafting a basket made of bulrushes, she coats it with tar and pitch to make it waterproof. Placing her infant son in the basket, she sets it afloat on the Nile, entrusting his fate to the river’s currents.
Miraculously, the basket floats into the path of the Pharaoh’s daughter, who is bathing in the river. Intrigued by the crying infant, she decides to adopt him as her own, naming him Moses, meaning drawn out, signifying how he was drawn out of the water. Coincidentally, Jochebed, Moses’ biological mother, is called upon to nurse and care for him, allowing her to remain close to her son during his formative years.
Moses’s Adult Life
Moses grows up in the opulence of the Egyptian palace, educated in the ways of the Egyptians. However, he remains aware of his Hebrew heritage, a fact that becomes evident when he witnesses an Egyptian taskmaster brutally beating a Hebrew slave. Filled with righteous anger, Moses intervenes, killing the taskmaster and burying him in the sand.
Moses back in Egypt
Realizing that his act has been discovered and fearing Pharaoh’s retribution, Moses flees into the wilderness of Midian, where he encounters the priest of Midian and marries his daughter, Zipporah. For decades, Moses lives a humble life as a shepherd, far removed from the grandeur of Egypt.
Yet, destiny calls Moses back to Egypt. Through a series of divine interventions, including the burning bush experience where God reveals Himself to Moses, he is commissioned to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites from bondage. Thus begins the epic saga of the Exodus, as Moses, with the assistance of his brother Aaron, confronts Pharaoh, unleashing a series of plagues upon Egypt when Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to heed the command.