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Todays Parsha #13: Shemot (the names)

STUDY QUESTIONS FROM LAST WEEKS PORTION (Vayechi)
1) Why does Jacob claim Ephraim and Manasseh as if they are his own sons?
According to the Stone Chumash, the reason has something to do with the phrase in
Genesis 35:11, kahal amim, or a congregation of nations. At the time this blessing was
given, Jacob already had 11 sons, and each son represented a nation. So the fact that the
fulfillment of this blessing was in his future still created a problem because Benjamins
birth later was not enough to complete the terms of that prophecy. In other words, Jacob
had to have at least two more sons after Joseph for the blessing to be realized and he only
had one more son, after which there were no more children.
As a result, Jacob knew he had to take two branches from one of his sons in order to
make the prophecy come out right, so he branched Josephs tribe into the two halves on
that basis.
While I agree largely with this idea, I also have an additional reason that may shed light
on this decision. I believe this may have had something also to do with Joseph marrying
a pagan priestess in Egypt. By taking Ephraim and Manasseh as his own children, this
would prevent that mixed marriage from having a stain against it. It is not just that
Asenath is Egyptian or even that she is named after an Egyptian deity (Neth)but it has
everything to do with her priestess activities at least up until the time she met her
husband.
And so Jacob wanted his sentiments on the matter clearly understood. He did NOT want
anyone coming against the claims of Ephraim and Manasseh on the basis of who their
mother was, and this is why the Rabbis have tried very hardan without successto try
to prove Asenath was the daughter of Dinah.
In other words, this is Jacob also protecting Josephs legacy by letting all future
generations know beyond any doubt that he approved of his sons wife and children.
Then once the tribal legacy is so secured, the rest of the children after them can belong to
Joseph.
2) When Jacob is blessing his children, name two instances where the blessing indicates
that he has not forgiven certain grievances that they did against him?
First for Reuben who defiled my couch by sleeping with Jacobs wife Bilhah. Second
for Simeon and Levi
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"Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence. 6 "Let my
soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because

in their anger they slew men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen. 7 "Cursed be their
anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, And
scatter them in Israel. (Genesis 49:5-7 NAU)
In this case, the offense Simeon and Levi were guilty of was the slaying of the
Shechemites in Genesis 34, on account of the rape of their sister Dinah.
However, Levi apparently fares better than Simeon in that Levi will be allowed the honor
of the priesthood. Even so, that role is still more servant like than kingly, and it may
have something more to do with Moshes character improving the reputation of his tribe
than mitigating the penalty Jacob is laying down here.
3) What are the full ramifications of the answer to question #2?
The first major ramification is that Jacobs first three sons are rebuked for being wicked,
leaving the 4th son, Judah, worthy to take the leading role. Judah is the oldest son who
did NOT rebel against his father.
The second ramification is that both Reuben and Levi will eventually chaff against their
reduced status in the Korah Rebellion in the book of Numbers. Dathan was from Reuben
and he wanted to usurp Moshe and rule Israel in his stead. Korah was from the noncohen family groups of Levi and wanted a higher status. The envy and jealousy among
the tribes of Israel due to their ancestors messing up is still going on, even to this day!
4) If you know the answer to question #3, where does Yshua himself directly comment on
the same issue?
The answer is in the parable of the Prodigal Son with the key line being what the father
says to the older son (Judah): My son, you have always been with meeverything I have
is yours.
5) Somewhere in this parsha is a hidden clue about the virgin birth of Messiahwhere is it?
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Dan will govern his people like any other of the tribes of Israel. 17 May Dan be a
snake on the road, a viper on the path, who bites the horse on the hock so that its rider
falls off backwards! 18 I long for your deliverance, Yahweh! (Genesis 49:16-18 NJB)
Dan means judge which relates to rulership or government. But he is also a SERPENT
(nachash), the same word used for the serpent in Eden, whose head in Genesis 3:15 will
be crushed by Yshua, who is born only by the seed of the woman. The interpretation
is confirmed by Yshuas name in the line, I wait on your Yshua, O Yahweh!
1) Meaning of this weeks Torah portion and summary of contents:
Shemot means the names, and it is almost impossible to do justice in a few lines to
such a majestic portion. We begin with the set-up of the Pharaoh who did not know

Joseph and who therefore enslaves the Israelites (probably Ahmose). Despite an edict to
kill all Hebrew male infants, Moshe escapes and is adopted by the Pharaohs daughter
called Bithia by the Rabbis, Thermuthis by Josephus Moshe is raised as a Prince of
Egypt until he kills an overseer beating a Hebrew slave. Then he flees to Midian and is
given shelter by Jethro, priest of Midian, but it is in the wilderness outside of Midian that
Moshe meets Abba YHWH for the first time as he climbs Mount Sinai. Abba YHWH
reveals Himself and gives Moshe his true purposehe is to return to Egypt and free the
slaves. The portion though ends on a down note, with Pharaoh refusing and saying they
must now make bricks without straw, so Abba YHWH warns a fearsome judgment is on
the way.

Parsha (English-Exodus 1:1-6:1). This week we will read the entire portion.

Ve'eleh shemot beney Yisra'el haba'im Mitsraymah et Ya'akov ish uveyto

ba'u.
Re'uven Shim'on Levi viYehudah.
Isachar Zvulun uVinyamin.
Dan veNaftali Gad ve'Asher.
1) Play by Play commentary where appropriate.
Brief Review: The Egyptian Royal Cast of Exodus
The Pharaoh who enslaved the Israelites: Ahmose the First, founder 18th Dynasty.
The Pharaoh who ordered the Hebrew infants killed: Thutmoses the First.
Pharaohs daughter who saves Moshe from the Nile: T-Is daughter, Princess
Maatkare, a.k.a. Thermuthis/Tarmuth (Josephus, Targums), Bithiah (1 Chronicles
4:17) and Hatshepsut.
The Royal Servant/Egyptian teacher of Moshe: Senenmut, servant/lover of
Hatshepsut who is actually a Hebrew named Mered (which means the rebel).
Senenmut may also be the servant who, according to rabbinic folk tradition, designed
a test to prove Moshe was not as an infant desiring the Pharaohs crown. He allegedly
took a scale and put on one side the crown and the other burning coals. When
Moshewith the help of an invisible angeltook the coals and burned his hand and
tongue becoming a stutterer as a result, he was vindicated.

Senenmut built two tombs for himself but is not buried in either. His cause of death
and location of remains are a mystery. However, it is in these tombs that we see him
to be an extremely gifted astronomer, which makes it likely he passed his knowledge
on to Moshe, a young prince of Egypt.
However, it is also necessary to point out that, if certain statements of Josephus are
correct, Egyptian astronomy was not Egyptian in origin at all but came to them in
stages through Seth and later Abraham, so the Hebrews got back what they used to
have once they came out of Egypt under Moshe.
The Pharaoh who exiled Moshe and died during that exile: Thutmoses III.
The Pharaoh of the Exodus: Amenhotep II.
2) Point out key Hebrew words/terms. Color Commentary:
VAYEHI KOL-NEFESH YOTSEY YERECH-YAAKOV (1:5) = And all the souls
emanating from Jacobs thigh. As we have seen, the thigh is a euphemism for
reproduction, and so this refers to lineal or direct descendants.
VAYAKOM MELECH CHADASH (1:8) = a new king arose. Bible.ort.org has this to
say about the rabbinic view:
Or, 'regime' or 'dynasty.' According to tradition, this occurred around the time of
Miriam's birth, which was 2361 (1400 b.c.e.). Hence, the name Miriam denotes bitterness
(Seder Olam Rabbah 3). The 'new king' would then be Thutmose IV, who reigned 14111397 b.c.e.
My commentary: I think they are partly correct here. The Hebrew is better rendered as
a new DYNASTY arose that didnt know Joseph. However, their dates are way off for
a variety of reasons. 1 Kings 6:1 dates the Exodus to 480 years before Solomons 4th
year which the scholarly community puts at 967 BCE and therefore an Exodus on 1447
BCE. The rabbis though put 1313 BCE as the Exodus, and their discrepancy continues
for nearly 900 years more with them putting the Temple destruction in 432 BCE130
years after Nebuchadnezzar died (562 BCE).
However the high chronology of Egypt which assumes a sighting of the heliacal rising
of the Sothis star from the old capital of Memphis yields dates VERY CLOSE to the
Bible.
When Moshe is driven out at age 40, this is in the early years of the reign of his rival to
the throne, Thutmoses the Third (T-3 as we will call him.) Therefore Moshes flight into
Midian is right after the disappearance or death of his last royal protector, Queen
Hatshepsut (1490 BCE in High Chronology; Moshe turns 40 in 1487 BCE). From here,
Exodus tells us that one pharaoh reigned almost the entire time Moshe was in exile, and
that also fits T-3, who dies just 3 years before Exodus, and it will take time for word to

reach Moses this has happened, and to hear Abba YHWHs call, prepare to cross the
desert and so on, before arriving back in Egypt in early February of 1447 BCE.
The high chronology also works at this other end of the timeline. If the Exodus
happens 80 years after the Pharaoh who did not know Joseph kills Israelite males that
Moshe would have been included with had his parents not floated him down the Nile, an
Exodus happening around 1447 BCE would bring us to about 1527 BCE for Moshes
birth and the very start of the reign of Pharaoh Thutmoses the First, who enslaves the
Israelites. His daughter, the princess, would be the first one ever to be called Daughter
of Thoth or as Josephus calls her, Thermuthis (Tehuti-Mes). The Aramaic Targums
call her Tarmuth.
This is where the phrase NEW DYNASTY comes in. In exactly 1570 BCE, THE NEW
KINGDOM IS BORN, and the Pharaoh, Ahmose, just finished driving out the Hyksos.
Since the Hyksos promoted Joseph to vizier, its not surprising that the first Pharaoh of
the NEW KINGDOM did not remember Joseph! Then the Israelites get enslaved a few
years later (around 1567 BCE) and Moshe is born 40 years later. In all, the Israelites
were actually enslaved about 120 years, or 3 full generations. The 4th generation, per
prophecy, will return to Canaan 40 years after this time.
PITHOMRAMESES (1:11) = Pithom in ancient Egyptian means place of crying out
which the Hebrew slaves were surely doing! Rameses was the general name for the
landnamed centuries before any Pharaoh took that title for themselves. Rameses means
son of Ra, Ra being the sun god. Rameses was named in the Hyksos period and even
earlier, because only in early history was Ra the main deity. By the time of the New
Kingdom, the main deity was Amun. Later still, the two deities would be combined as
Amun-Ra.
AVNAYIM (1:14) = birth stool. The women would give birth sitting up while seated on
two stones maybe 18 inches apart. The baby would be delivered by the midwives through
the gap in the stones. This parallels the Canaanite-Hebrew practice in Genesis 30:3 for
surrogate mothers: She said, "Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her that she may bear on
my knees, that through her I too may have children." (Genesis 30:3 NAU)
TEVAT GOME (2:3) = Literally papyrus box, the same reed the Egyptians use to make
paper. It was well known from evidence in Egyptian tombs that boats were made from
this material.
BASUF AL SFAT HA-YEOR (2:3) = in the rushes near the bank of the Nile. SUF here
in Hebrew is probably derived from ancient Egyptian THUFmeaning uncut reeds of
papyrus.
BAT-PAROH (2:5) = daughter of Pharaoh. This is the Bithia mentioned in 1 Chronicles
4:18, who marries an Israelite named Mered. Interestingly enough, Egyptian inscriptions
do include the name BATI for some prominent women of that time. Other parts of the
Talmud appear influenced by Josephus Thermuthis reference and call her TARMUTH

(Yovioth 47:5); however the most likely etymology for Thermuthis is TEHUTI-MES or
daughter of Thoth. These facts mean that the woman Egyptologists call Hatshepsut
may not be buried in her tomb, but she faked her death and fled with Mered (perhaps her
chief servant/lover Senenmut?) However, it also is possible that after she fled and bore
Mered four children after she died she was brought back to Egypt for secret burial.
VAYIGDAL HA-YELED (2:10) = and the child grew. This is a reference to Moshe
being weaned at age 5. Exodus 2:7-:9 makes it clear Moshe is being nursed as he is
growing. This also ties into the later valuations of males, starting when they turn 5 years
old (Leviticus 27:5).
SHEMO MOSHE VATOMER KI MIN-HAMAYIM MESHITITHU (2:10) = she named
him Moshe (saying) I BORE (mashe) him out of the water. MOSHE does mean son or
literally born of____ in ancient Egyptian. By adopting Moshe, Pharaohs daughter is
acting like she literally gave birth to him from the water. Josephus says the etymology is
a bit different, with MO (water) and USES (drawn from) but this is not widely accepted
today. I personally view MOSHE as a kind of shortened form of a name that was
prefixed by the name of an Egyptian deity. So MOSHE was born of the god of____ but
this would not be acceptable when brought into fellowship with the true Elohim, so the
prefix was dropped. I can never prove this because it is likely all trace of this was erased
both from Egyptian and Hebrew records for different reasons, but if I may hazard a
guess, I have always thought the original was OSARSIPH-MESES, or the son of
Osiris.
VAYETZE BAYOM HASHENI VEHINEH SHNEY ANASHIM IVRIM NITSIM (2:13)
= Moshe went out the next day and he saw two Hebrew men fighting. In the next line,
these two men will say Who made you (Moshe) a prince over us? This is similar to
what is said here, at the start of the Korah rebellion:
Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath the Levite, and the Reubenites Dathan and
Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth were proud 2 and rebelled against Moses
with two hundred and fifty Israelites who were leaders of the community, prominent at
the solemn feasts, men of repute. 3 These banded together against Moses and Aaron and
said to them, 'You take too much on yourselves! The whole community, all its members,
are consecrated, and Yahweh lives among them. Why set yourselves higher than
Yahweh's community?' 4 On hearing this, Moses threw himself on his face. (Numbers
16:1-4 NJB)
Therefore Rabbinic tradition, rightly in this case I believe, identifies Dathan and Aviram
as the fighting men, showing they were rebels from the beginning and never trusted
Moshe.
MIDIAN (2:15) = This was the son of Abraham and his wife Keturah and their
descendants settled there in Saudi Arabia. When put into the Arabic dialect this word
becomes very close to MEDINA, which was one of the founding cities of Islam.
However, Jethro himself is a descendant of Esau

Eliphaz was Esaus son by his wife Adah and is probably the grandfather or greatgrandfather of the other Eliphaz who becomes a friend of Job in the land of Uz. As we
will see later, Uz lies in the lands of Edom and directly on the way from both Israel and
Egypt into the land of Midian.
I actually lean more to this explanation now because in this area of land are a group
called the Kenites (Genesis 15:19). In Numbers 24:21, Balaam prophecies that, unlike
their kin Amalek, the Kenites will not die but will prosper because your dwelling place
is enduring and your nest is set in a cliff. It is this same group of people that
Reuel/Jethro/Hobab are descended from in Midian and the cliffs they nest in are none
other than Mount Sinai, which is in the extended wilderness outside of Midian (Judges
1:16; 4:11).
Therefore, all evidence points to these Kenites being a standalone people in Canaan
before Esau marries into their line through Basemath, meaning Reuel himself was born in
Canaan and migrated and settled in Midian later (Genesis 36:4-5) when Esau his father
moved to Seir/Edom (36:8).
A final possibility here is that Reuel may be a title, not a proper name. It means friend
of El and could be hereditary rank of a priest of Midian. If so, then this Reuel could be
the start of that priestly line once he inherits Sinai and the title Reuel is passed down a
few generations to the man known as Jethro or Hobab (Judges 4:11), who becomes
Moshes father in law. Since Jethro means excellent one, it too may be a title for a
priest and not a real name, leaving Hobab (meaning my fathers bosom) as the real
name and Jethro/Reuel as titles
ULECOHEN MIDYAN SHEVA BANOT VATAVONAH VATIDLENAH
VATMALENAH ET-HAREHATIM LEHASKOT TSON AVIHEN (2:16) = and the
priest of Midian had seven daughters who came to draw the water, as they were
beginning to fill the troughs and water their fathers sheep
Notice this is another well of the seven, this time the seven daughters of the Priest of
Midian, just like Beer Sheva was the well of the oath (and the seven) in Genesis. Moshe,
whose name is derived from saving from water or drawn out is at a place where
water is drawn out, a well of the seven, perhaps to remind him of his real ancestors.
Also, if I am correct that Jethro is a descendant of Esau, then it seems Esaus folk have
the equivalent of their well of the seven/oath just as the sons of Jacob do!
REUEL (2:18) = friend of El. Possibly this is another name for Jethro, which is the
explanation I lean to. Others think it could be his grandfather.
TZIPPORAH (2:21) = Lady-bird and their son GERSHOM (2:22) is derived from GER
(stranger) and SHAM (there), or I am a stranger there.
VAYAMOT MELECH MITZRAYIM (2:23) = and the king of Egypt died. Again the
high chronology dates work best with the Scripture details of a 1447 BCE Exodus. Our

range thus far identifies Ahmose as the king who didnt know Joseph who began reigning
in 1570 BCE. But the Pharaoh who killed the infants would have been Thutmoses the
First, who began reigning the year Moshe was born, 1527 BCE, thus there was a 40 year
period (covering the reigns of Ahmose the First and Amenhotep the First) where Egypt
waited to see if slavery would thin the ranks of the Hebrews and when it didnt they
resorted to murder. That being the case the pharaoh who reigned many years and died
while Moshe was in exile was Thutmoses the Third, who died 3 years before the Exodus,
in 1450 BCE.
HOREB (3:1) = means wasteland because of its desert climate. Its other name SINAI
means thorny so its a thorny wasteland where Moshe gets the Torah!
SNEH (3:2) = thorn-bush. There may be a word play or other connection between SNEH
and SINAI, since this is the Burning Bush.
VAYERA MALACH YAHWEH ELAV BELABAT ESH (3:2) = And appeared the
Messenger of Yahweh (to Moshe) in the heart of the fire. Later there will be no form
whatsoever in the pillar of fire or the Burning Bush but only a voice. This time however,
Moshe sees a pre-incarnate Yshua as the Messenger who has Yah in his name (Exodus
23:20-22).
KI YARE MEHABIT EL-HA ELOHIM (3:6) = for he [Moshe] was afraid to look at
Elohim. One could say Moshe then had the fear of Elohim and this leads to YHWHYireh (the fear of YHWH), one of His titles.
VAERED (3:8) = Literally, I have come down, which indicates that Abba YHWH has
decided to act soon. While He is everywhere, the sense of the Hebrew is that Abba
YHWH has descended from highest heaven to be near His people that He is about to
deliver. Also notice the Kenites, which were mentioned in Genesis 15 and 36, are not
mentioned here, because by this time they have moved into Edomite territory under Esau
their ancestor.
EHYEH ASHER EHYEH (3:14) = I am that I am/ I will be what I will be. The fact that
the Name encompasses all tense or in Hebrew terms states of being showcases Abba
YHWH as the Eternal One. More fundamentally however is the fact that the I AM is
what is revealed to Moshe. Previously patriarchs like Abraham knew the Name of Abba
YHWH but not what YHWH calls HIMSELF in the First Person (I am).
YAHWEH (3:15) = He is or YAH, He who is. This is the THIRD PERSON
MASCULINE of the first person EHYEH. It is EHYEH that YHWH calls Himself to
Himself but YHWH is what MAN calls Him. The simplified form of YAHWEH is YAH
(Exodus 15:1-2), and this is the same exact name in shortened form (Psalm 68:4).
PAQAD PAQEDETI (3:16) = extraordinary providence. These same words were spoken
by Joseph just before dying in Genesis 50:24. It is a double exploitation of the root
PAQAD, amplifying the providence involved.

DEREK SHLOSHET YAMIM BAMIDBAR (3:20) = a three day journey into the desert.
Although it will take months for Moshe to cross the desert from Midian into Egypt, Abba
YHWH has already figured out exactly when Moshe will arrive to speak with Pharaoh
(Amenhotep II). As a result, the plague clock and other data (Exodus 7:7, Deuteronomy
1:3) tell us that the only time for this feast would have been the full moon before
Passover, or what will eventually become known as the Feast of Purim. When this feast
(remember from Fast to Feast of Esther runs Adar/2 Adar 13-15, or three days) did not
happen, it seems the timing was made a place holder for the future event, ensuring that no
matter how the calendar falls the first full moon of spring will always be marking the
deliverance of the Jewish people, either from Persia or from Egypt.
VESHALACHTI ET-YADI (3:20) = Literally, I will send out My hand, referring to the
mighty hand, outstretched arm of Abba YHWH that delivers Israel. In neutral language
we would say, I will display My power.
GAM MEAZ DEBARCHA (4:10) = since the first time You spoke with me. Because
this occasion at this moment is the first time Abba YHWH directly speaks to Moshe, the
Hebrew seems to suggest Abba YHWH had perhaps spoken to Moshe in the past, before
he climbed Sinai. While it is unclear what is meant precisely, it may have something to
do with Abba YHWH calling Moshe to Midian as he crossed the desert.
YETHER (4:18) = A variant on Jethro or Yitro, and this variant means abundance.
This may be a title or reference to Jethros wealth or prominence, not a proper name.
Others suggest the name got changed to Jethro (excellent one) after he made his famous
declaration in Exodus 18, now I know that Elohim is greatest among the gods.
VAYIKACH MOSHE EL-ISHTO VEET BANAV (4:20) = and Moshe took his wife
and his sons. The plural indicates that Eliezar has already been born but, apparently, later
details show he had not been circumcised yet until Tzipporah intervened.
ACHAZEK ET-LIBO (4:21) = harden his (Pharaohs) heart. ACHAZEK is a form of
CHAZAK, to strengthen, so Abba YHWH is saying He will STRENGTHEN Pharaohs
resolve, i.e. increase His stubbornness.
YAHWEH VAYAKAVESH HAMITO (4:24) = YHWH confronted (Moshe) and
wanted to put him to death. This was because Moshe delayed circumcising one of his
sons. Many think this was Gershom who was now about 13 years old, but more likely
this is the new-born Elieazar who may have just passed his 8th day at that point,
explaining better the sense of urgency on Tzipporahs part.
VAYOMER YAHWEH ET-AHARON LECH LIKRAT MOSHE HAMIDIBARAH
(4:27) = and Yahweh said to Aaron, Go meet Moshe in the wilderness. So, since the
Israelites are in bondage, how does Aaron get to move about freely? Perhaps somehow
the Levites were exempt from slavery or Aaron somehow had high status with Pharaoh to
be able to move about freely. Or maybe even Aaron somehow also escaped Egypt and

was living in between Egypt and Midian. Whatever the case may be, I have not found a
single attempt at explaining this in the rabbinic record.
BAASH (5:21) = stink, or you have made us appear rotten in the eyes of Pharaoh. A
more neutral reading is you have destroyed our reputation with Pharaoh. However,
slaves seldom enjoy wonderful reputations amongst their royal oppressors.
VEYAD CHAZAKA (6:1) = and with a strong hand, Pharaoh will be forced to let
Israel go due to Abba YHWHs might.
Torah Question of the Week: What was Moshes Egyptian name?
END PART 1

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PART 2: THE HAFTORAH

Torah Question of the Week:
What was Moshes Egyptian name?
Bonus Teaching:
The Untold Biography of Moshe
A couple of nights ago I was enjoying a few of the obligatory programs on the Messiah
that various cable channels figure most folks are interested in at this time of year. Some,
like CNN, simply re-ran their spring content again now. In any case, one of these
programs was on the Lost Years of Messiah and for the most part I thought they did a
good job of exploring that evidence.
After watching it though it led me to think about Moshe who, as it turns out, has way
more lost years than Yshua78 in alland thats being kind because its not as if we
have a lot of details about his forty years in Midian and the text of Numbers (20:1) skips
over 38 years of events while he and the rest of Israel are in the Wilderness. And if I
count the 38 years in the Wilderness as covered then his 40 years growing up in Egypt
clearly are not!
Is it any wonder then that both ancient and modern writers would seek to fill in some of
these gaps, and to my mind, none of these gaps are more fascinating than chronicling
Moshes formative years as a Prince of Egypt.
But, as those of you who have been with me a while know well, in order to do that we
need to establish both the chronological years and the proper dynastic information that
goes along with them to really have a shot at drawing useful information from Moshes
adopted culture. What I have pieced together is, admittedly, somewhat speculative, but I
believe it also honors the genuine historical sources behind it.
Lets start with something simple: His name. The account we are given in Exodus 1,
coming from Moshes own hand but with the benefit of his own hindsight on what he
would become, focusses on how he was saved from the water by the daughter of Pharaoh
and was named drawn out/saved from water or moshe Hebrew. I am not saying that this
account is inaccurate of course in any way, but it is nevertheless showing Moshes own
later preferences in totally leaving his Egyptian culture behind.
The fact is, we need to turn to other facts in the Scripture itself and get the wider story of
what was going on in Egypt at that time. It is Scripture that tells us Pharaoh had
condemned all Hebrew infants to death, which means Moshe could not survive as a
prince if he kept his Hebrew name intact! Not only would doing so mean his death, it
would also spell the doom of his adopted mother who rescued him in defiance of her
fathers own edict. Therefore, everyone associated with this affair had two choices: Give
the new prince an Egyptian name and stay or keep his Hebrew name and run for their

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lives. Scripture tells us of course they stayed and so Moshe does not become Moshe until
he flees to Midian.
That being so, what was he called while he was growing up in Egypt? Ironically
Josephus, who has the answer from Egyptian records, says he doesnt like the reports!
Josephus is upset because those reports are being used by an anti-Semite named Apion
against his people so, understandably, hes upset.
I just wish though Josephus could have seen the bigger picture in this case. As we have
commented on many times (and will do so again in future), if Josephus wasnt so upset
over Apion we historians today would not even know he ever lived. Next time just keep
quiet Joe!
But the other side of this evidence is also compelling. It doesnt just come from the pen
of racist Apion but from the writings of Manetho, a Greek-Egyptian court historian that is
trusted even today by Egyptologists to tell us the dynasties and the names of the kings.
Im not saying Josephus is crazy about Manetho either, but compared to what he says
about Apion, Manetho and Joe could have been drinking buddies if three centuries didnt
separate the two of them.
And Manetho has several advantages that Apion does not. For one thing, Manetho had
access to the original hieroglyphic records. For another, the names Manetho has been
given have been confirmed in later archaeological finds throughout Egypt. In terms of
listing the names of kings and the dynasties they belonged tonot to say Manetho was
right about everything he believed about his data which is another storyManetho had
been proven correct and is still consulted by Egyptologists today even though Josephus is
the only source for this data.
So what happened to the original Egyptian account of Moshe and the Exodus? It was
very likely suppressed from public view for more than a thousand years until the country
became ruled by Greeks after the death of Alexander the Great. Then, when the Greek
Pharaohs wanted to build a massive library with all the known worlds books, many of
these secret files were found and translated into Greek, by which time also certain
confusions had also crept into those records while they retained a core of genuine history.
It is these confusions of record that upset Josephus, with anti-Semitic allegations (again,
used by bad-boy Apion) that the Jews were expelled after being given leprosy by the
Egyptian gods and other nasty lies I simply dont want to get into because, like Josephus,
it bothers me too.
In any case, the point is that didnt mean everything Manetho or others in Egypt said
about Moshe and the Exodus was false. One such story that I think is actually true is what
will give us Moshes lost Egyptian name, which is that before Father Yah called him to
service Moshe served as a priest at Heliopolis and later abandoned the Egyptian gods to
redeem his people. Here is some of that account:

12

238

But when these men were gotten into it, and found the place fit for a
revolt, they appointed themselves a ruler out of the priests of Heliopolis,
whose name was Osarsiph, and they took their oaths that they would be
obedient to him in all things. 239 He then, in the first place, made this law for
them, that they should neither worship the Egyptian gods, nor should abstain
from anyone of those sacred animals which they have in the highest esteem,
but kill and destroy them all; that they should join themselves to no one but to
those that were of this confederacy.
240

When he had made such laws as these, and many more such as were mainly
opposite to the customs of the Egyptians, he gave orders that they should use the
multitude of the hands they had in building walls about their city, and make
themselves ready for a war with King Amenophis. (Josephus, Against Apion,
1:238-240)
250

It was also reported that the priest, who ordained their polity and their laws,
was by birth of Heliopolis, and his name Osarsiph, from Osiris, who was the
god of Heliopolis; but that when he was gone over to these people, his name was
changed, and he was called Moses.'' (Josephus, Against Apion 1:250; see also
Against Apion, 1:265)
And even Josephus seems to waver between rejection and acceptance of Manethos
account in this instance:
286

Nor, indeed, is that other notion of Manetho at all probable, wherein he relates
the change of his name, and says that ``he was formerly called Osarsiph;'' and this
a name is no way agreeable to the other, while his true name was Mouses, and
signifies a person who is preserved out of the water, for the Egyptians call water
Mou.
287

I think, therefore, I have made it sufficiently evident that Manetho, while

he followed his ancient records, did not much mistake the truth of the
history; but that when he had recourse to fabulous stories, without any certain
author, he either forged them himself, without any probability, or else gave credit
to some men who spoke so out of their ill will to us. (Josephus, Against Apion
1:286-287)
So here then is Moshes Egyptian name, understanding that the real meaning of moshe is
an Egyptian word meaning to be born of, when we combine this with the name of the
god he was supposed to be named after, Osiris, we are brought to the original name in
ancient Egyptian: Asiri-Meses, the son of Osiris.
That designation also tells us a lot about Moshes own education and upbringing. In
addition to the fact that Acts 7:22 tells us he knew all the wisdom of the Egyptians,
which had to include their astronomy, the historian Philo gives us more details about how
the prince and priest in training was schooled:

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23

Accordingly he speedily learnt arithmetic, and geometry, and the whole science
of rhythm and harmony and meter and the whole of music, by means of the use of
musical instruments, and by lectures on the different arts, and by explanations of
each topic; and lessons on these subjects were given him by Egyptian
philosophers, who also taught him the philosophy which is contained in symbols,
which they exhibit in those sacred characters or hieroglyphics, as they are called,
and also that philosophy which is conversant about that respect which they pay to
animals which they invest with the honors due to God. And all the other branches
of the encyclical education he learnt from Greeks; and the philosophers from the
adjacent countries taught him Assyrian literature and the knowledge of the
heavenly bodies so much studied by the Chaldeans.
24

And this knowledge he derived also from the Egyptians, who study
mathematics above all things, and he learnt with great accuracy the state of that
art among both the Chaldeans and Egyptians, making himself acquainted with the
points in which they agree with and differ from each other-- making himself
master of all their disputes without encouraging any disputatious disposition in
himself-- but seeking the plain truth, since his mind was unable to admit any
falsehood, as those are accustomed to do who contend violently for one particular
side of a question; and who advocate any doctrine which is set before them,
whatever it may be, not inquiring whether it deserves to be supported, but acting
in the same manner as those lawyers who defend a cause for pay, and are wholly
indifferent to the justice of their cause. (Philo, Life of Moses, 1:23-24)
Trust me when I tell you all: Philo has a lot more to say on this subject, so this is his
version of a soundbite! In any case, now that we know the dynasty and times that Moshe
lived in, we can turn to other aspects of what we know about Egypt at that time to tell
more of his story.
From the very beginning, according to Josephus, Moshe was viewed with suspicion in the
Egyptian royal court and in particular by the powerful priests of Amun-Ra, one of whom
had seen a heavenly omen that was prophesied to bring Egypt down through a member of
its own royal house.
I believe this evil omen was probably the return of the star Sirius to align with the
Egyptian Civil Calendar, an event that ends an age and happens only once every 1,461
years. This alignment happened only a decade before Moshe was born, in the 9th year of
Amenhotep I, or 1537 BCE. Then, no more than fifteen years later, that prophecy
appeared to be fulfilled:
233

And [Thermuthis] put the infant into her father's hands: so he took him, and
hugged him close to his breast; and on his daughter's account, in a pleasant way,
put his diadem upon his head; but Moses threw it down to the ground, and, in a
puerile mood, he wreathed it round, and trod upon his feet; 234 which seemed to
bring along with evil presage concerning the kingdom of Egypt.

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But when the sacred scribe saw this, (he was the person who foretold that his
nativity would the dominion of that kingdom low,) he made a violent attempt to
kill him; and crying out in a frightful manner, said, 235 ``This child, O king! is he
of whom [the gods] foretold, that if we kill him we shall be in no danger; he
himself affords an attestation to the prediction of the same thing, by his trampling
upon your government, and treading upon your diadem. Take him, therefore, out
of the way, and deliver the Egyptians from the fear they are in about him; and
deprive the Hebrews of the hope they have of being encouraged by him.''
(Josephus, Antiquities, 2:233-235)
So Prince Moshe, or Asiri-Meses, grew up being distrusted by some of the most powerful
people in Egypt. When his adopted grandfather, Pharaoh Thutmoses I, died in about
Moshes 12th year (1515 BCE), Moshes position at court became even more tenuous.
Even though Moshes adopted father was now Pharaoh (Thutmoses II), he never seems to
have regarded Moshe highly and his relationship with his sister-wife Hatshepsut appears
to have been strained at best. He married her apparently only because he was forced and
only because her bloodline was actually purer than his. In this marriage of convenience
also, neither seemed to have any passion for the other. Thutmoses II took a commoner to
wife, a lady named Iset and Hatshepsut almost certainly had an illicit love affair with her
servant, Senenmut.
I believe that the impetus for Hatshepsut to adopt Moshe in the first place stemmed from
this situation. Hatshepsut had the purest blood and therefore was called wife of the god
to her brother. She could only keep that status however if she produced his first male heir,
so the finding of Moshe and subsequent faking of her pregnancy went a long way to
solving that problem. She also arranged through Moshes sister Miriam for Moshe to be
nursed for his first five years by his Hebrew mother and likely paid the family well for
their silence as Exodus implies. I also believe Hatshepsut gave Moshes family some
level of freedom from bondage, thus explaining how Aaron can move about freely to see
Moshe in Midian in Exodus 4.
Now six years later, Thutmoses II is finally having a son through his wife Iset and even
though Moshe is clearly the older prince, it is this child, named Thutmoses III, who has
better political connections in his favor to get him on the throne.
What I think happened at this point was that Thutmoses II was planning to get rid of both
his sister and Prince Moshe in a coup but Hatshepsut found out about it first and
somehow managed to get him killed. Historically speaking, we only know for certain that
Thutmoses II seemed to suffer from a variety of physical ailments uncommon in a man so
young and well cared for and he dies under very mysterious circumstances that are
unclear even now.
Once that happened, Prince Moshe was safe but the enemies who wanted Thutmoses III
to become Pharaoh eventually could not be completely cast aside, so Hatshepsut made a
deal with them which is actually recorded in Egyptian records. She agreed to designate

15

Thutmoses III as her official successor and in return she would rule the nation as Queen
Regent until some vague point in the future when it was deemed appropriate for the nowinfant Thutmoses III to become king. I believe it was also agreed that no one would move
against Prince Moshe to either injure or kill him and so Hatshepsut had no other way to
protect him.
Seven years after this deal was struck however, Hatshepsut moved quickly to go from
being Queen Regent to being Pharaoh in her own right. Somehow she outmaneuvered her
enemies and managed to placate others into thinking she would still yield the throne to
the young prince Thutmoses III when he was ready, but that never happened, at least not
voluntarily.
Meanwhile, Prince Moshe had to focus on other pursuits, having been denied the chance
to become pharaoh. Josephus, Philo and some other sources tell us Moshe was fascinated
with history, math, architecture and astronomy. I believe he was also interested in
international relations, so when Hatshepsut decided in her 9th year in power (1500 BCE)
to mount the first trading expedition to the mysterious land of Punt (Somalia) in the last
five centuries, Moshe probably went with here.
The Punt Expedition is one of the most well documented in all of Egyptian history, and it
was a rousing success for Hatshepsut, who was facing increased pressure at home to go to
war to expand Egypts influence, so she opted for trade instead. However, as Thutmoses
III grew, he became a master charioteer and seasoned general in the Egyptian army, and
this would emerge as greater threat to Moshe as more years went by. Interestingly
enough, on Hatshepsuts own tomb walls, there is a portrait of an unnamed prince or
royal official who seems about the right age (26):

16

I can honestly say I dont know for a fact this is Prince Moshe, but it sure looks like a
royal from the right place at the right time. The figure has on the Gold of Praise collar, a
sign of high rank that was given to Joseph when he became vizier (Genesis 41:43) and he
has a wast scepter in his hand which is another sign of powerful men or even gods. His
headdress is also of royal designI believe I see a nemes sticking out of the top which
would mark him as a prince at the very least.
The only problem I am having is I cant get a good shot at the hieroglyphics around the
figure and I cant find another image that will tell me who this guy may be. (If any of you
find another shot of it, please send it to me.)
However the provenance of that painting turns out however, the remainder of Moshes
lost years in Egypt seems pretty clear at this point. Moshe would return home from Punt
as a successful co-diplomat with his step mother-Pharaoh, but acceptance by others in
Egypt would continue to elude him.
Finally, about a decade later, Moshe finally gets the chance to distinguish himself as a
military hero, and this is the famous story in Josephus about his Ethiopian campaign
where he meets and falls in love with the Princess Tharbis of Kush. Then, in spite of a
victorious campaign that sends many treasure barges up the Nile with Ethiopian gold,
Josephus tells us nothing changed:
No sooner was the agreement made, but it took effect immediately; and when
Moses had cut off the Ethiopians, he gave thanks to Elohim, and consummated
his marriage, and led the Egyptians back to their own land. 254 Now the
Egyptians, after they had been preserved by Moses, entertained a hatred to
him, and were very eager in compassing their designs against him, as
suspecting that he would take occasion, from his good success, to raise a
sedition, and bring a revolution into Egypt; and told the king he ought to be
slain. (Josephus, Antiquities, 2:253-254)
With this state of affairs, its not surprising that when Moshes last royal protector is
taken out of the picture, that the moment he kills the Egyptian overseer he has given his
royal rival, Thutmoses III who is now Pharaoh, all the pre-text he needs to destroy Moshe
once and for all, so he flees to Midian.
Are there other twists and turns to this story that I believe history and archaeology can
reveal? You better believe ittons in fact. But to hear those all of you will simply have
to wait for when my novel The Son of Osiris: the Untold Story of Moses is completed,
and that will not be anytime soon.
3) Haftorah portion: (English- Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 27:6-28:13) and discuss
common themes with the Torah portion. Read entire portion first.

Haba'im yashresh Ya'akov yatsits ufarach Yisra'el umal'u fney-tevel tnuvah.

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Hakemakat makehu hikahu im-kehereg harugav horag.

Besase'ah beshalechah terivenah hagah berucho hakashah beyom kadim.
4) Our linguistic commentary
PANEY TAVAL-TENUVAH (27:6) = and fill the face of the earth with fruit. Although
the word EPHRAIM is not here its synonym is. Abba YHWH will cause though ALL
NATIONS to bear the fruit of obeying His Torah. This is the sole destiny of all
humanity.
RUACH QADIM (27:8) = east wind. A clear sign of the Exodus which occurs both with
the locust plague (Exodus 10:13) and the parting of the Sea of Reeds (Exodus 14:21). The
same imagery applies here in Isaiah, but this time it is against Israel, not Egypt!
SHIKARI EPHRAIM (28:1) = drunkards of Ephraim. SHIKAR/SHEKAR is called
Sychar in the Greek NT, the place where Yshua confronts the Samaritan woman in
Yochanan 4, near Jacobs well. SHEKAR though can also mean deception.
UVELASHON ETRET (28:11) = and with a foreign tongue. The image here, of
stammering lips and a strange tongue is sometimes used as a justification of
Pentecostal belief. However, in this case at least it seems highly unlikely, if for no other
reason that the people doing the talking are drunks who are throwing up !
5) Renewed Covenant portion: (English). Yochanan 17:1-26 (all the way through with
applicable footnotes.)
John 17:11
201) Kadosh/Set Apart means that YHWH and His Word will never change; we can put
our trust in Him knowing He will keep His Word. See Unity of the Name of YHWH in
Appendix.
202) A very key passage. Aramaic literally reads that YHWH gave His Name to Y'shua;
therefore, he has the Name of his Father within him.
John 17:12
203) Y'shua keeps them in YHWH's name so when we call upon YHWH in Y'shua's
name, we are calling on YHWH for Salvation. As the Name of YHWH is in Mashiyach,
so are we to have the name of Mashiyach in us, which means that as followers of Y'shua
we are to walk according to his righteousness, observe Torah and walk in the anointing of
the Ruach haKodesh as Mashiyach demonstrated to us.
John 17:19

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204) Literally, "Their faces." (PY)

John 17:24:
Noting the word FOUNDATIONS is in the plural, meaning there is more than one
foundation for the world or universe. I believe this proves some of the discussion in
Genesis Decoded that there is more than creation of the heavens and the earth. i.e. that
we started with a foundation, laid the earth waste with a flood and re-created it.
6) Highlight common themes in Aramaic (terms in footnotes which I will read):
7) Apply these themes/issues to modern issues in the Netzari faith. (Keeping unity in the
Set-Apart Name of the Father is just as critical today as it was 2000 years ago!)
8) Relate to all or part of an Appendix portion of AENT or footnotes from a portion (NT
Misconception #8: End of the Torah, p.803).
STUDY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED NEXT WEEK
1) What part of the Exodus drama is recalled or reenacted not just at Passover but at the
other two Great Feasts during the Hebrew year?
2) What is the difference between when Moshe sees the Burning Bush from a distance, to
when he goes up and sees it up close, to when he sees the Pillar of Fire writing the Ten
Commandments?
3) What is the connection between Pharaohs initial refusal and a place in Samaria that
Yshua visited?
4) How does one of Moshes miracles relate to Adam and Eve and Yshua?
5) How does Yshuas discourse hint that some of his disciples may have recently come out
of the Oral Traditions of the rabbis?
Torah Thought for the Week:
The Born Identity
Every year, as Genesis wanes down and Exodus ramps up, I find myself very naturally
reviewing all my notes on Biblical chronology and genealogy. This year being no
exception, I endeavored to look at some of the more nagging unanswered questions in
this part of the Torah text. Remember for me there are never contradictions in
Scriptureonly things that I figured out and other things that I am still working on.
Some of the findings that have gone from working on to figured out I have been
showing here in recent weeks:

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1) When did Job live and when was the book about him written? Who wrote it?
2) What lineage is Jethro from?
3) When exactly did Moshe figure out he wasnt Egyptian?
The first two questions I have already attempted to answer in this weeks notes. But the
last one, when did Moshe figure out he was Hebrew, I have saved for now. I call my
answer The Born Identity. Before explaining what I mean, lets look at the actual
challenge from the Scripture:
11

Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out
to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a
Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 So he looked this way and that, and when he saw
there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13
He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each
other; and he said to the offender, "Why are you striking your companion?" 14 But
he said, "Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me
as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and said, "Surely the matter
has become known." 15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses.
But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian,
and he sat down by a well. (Exodus 2:11-15 NAU)
Everything that Moshe does from here until the Burning Bush seems to indicate he knew
of his origins for a while. As a prince of Egypt, why would he have cared that two
Hebrews among 2 million of them were fighting? Why bother putting his own life and
position at risk? Whats more, maybe the slaves know too, or else why would they not
acknowledge him as a prince and a judge over them?
And then, even though Jethros daughters call him an Egyptian, he has no trouble
marrying one of them and dwelling with them. A native Egyptian, even a disgraced
prince like Moshe, culturally speaking would rather die than give up his status. This is
after all the 18th Dynasty and the time of the New Kingdom, when Egypt is at the very
peak of her power and influence.
More than that, Egyptian archaeology reveals the inner souls of the Egyptian people in
terms of the way they saw themselves. Their myths had taught them their land was the
first to be created and the only perfect place on earth. The Egyptians viewed themselves
as semi-divine and the rest of the world as full of barbarians, save perhaps one very rich
king from Mycenae that the Egyptian archives basically said, Well hes not bad, but the
rest of them are evil.
Remarkably, even the common people thought they were better than even royalty among
other nations. One commoner father wrote a letter to his soldier son and complained that
he spent too much time abroad in that dreaded place of Yar. Archaeologists scratched
their heads wondering where Yar was, because the references to it seemed to be
identifying countries all over the Middle East and Africa. Finally, after more than a
century of speculation, John Romer figured out that Yar meant hellhole and that

20

basically anywhere outside of Egypt was Yar or hell. If this is how the commoners
felt, what about their princes? And whats Prince Moshe doing mingling his royal
bloodif he still thought it was that iswith a Bedouin lady from East Nowhere?
How then could Moshe so easily forget these cultural sensibilities that had been
percolating and penetrating Egypt for centuries before he was even born? Why would he
so easily leave all that behind without giving us a single indication in the depth of his
despair in the Torah he was writing? For me the answer is at least partially obvious: He
knew already he wasnt really Egyptian! But again, to paraphrase the Watergate
hearings, what did the Lawgiver know and when did he know it?
The quote above tells us HE looked on his brethren but the question remains, did he
KNOW these were his brethren at the time or could that knowledge have come to him
somehow in exile? Again, Moshes bearing, perhaps the way he fought the Amalekites
off, even his clothes, identified him as Egyptian to Jethros daughters.
This is where what I call the Born Identity comes in. Abba YHWH had been with
Moshe from the very beginning of his life, preparing him slowly for the mission he would
get later on. It is Abba YHWH Who would have given Moshe a natural empathy for his
enslaved brethren and an innate curiosity to understand things more deeply than the
official royal-corporate version of things he had undoubtedly been raised on.
One of the things I have long believed is that Moshes original Egyptian name linked him
to a particular Egyptian deity. Moshe meaning born of I think Josephus is correct that
the original name was Osiris, or something like Asiri-Meses, and that when Moshe
encountered Abba YHWH, he simply dropped the Osiris part and became Moshe.
Since the Torah calls him Moshe throughout it is difficult to be certain when this
change happened with his name, but there is one tantalizing hint worth exploring and I
commented on it already in the linguistics:
GAM MEAZ DEBARCHA (4:10) = since the first time You spoke with me.
Because this occasion at this moment is the first time Abba YHWH directly
speaks to Moshe, the Hebrew seems to suggest Abba YHWH had perhaps spoken
to Moshe in the past, before he climbed Sinai. While it is unclear what is meant
precisely, it may have something to do with Abba YHWH calling Moshe to
Midian as he crossed the desert or something he heard while pasturing Jethros
flocks at the base of the mountain.
So did Abba YHWH speak with Moshe before the big encounter in Exodus 3-4? I think
the answer is yes. Moshe had 40 years to settle in Midian and he is his own editor. For
whatever reason, that first calling is not given in the official record, and I think the reason
why is simple: Moshe is embarrassed because he didnt do well the first time Abba
YHWH spoke with him.

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I admit this is speculative, but look at how he almost fails to embrace the mission this
time out, as I explained previously in the teaching, The Worst Job Interview in History:
While I alluded to this earlier in part 1, it certainly bears repeating, one of the central
ironies of the Exodus drama. For those of us who seek glory in a great adventure,
Abba YHWH will pass over us and give it to a humble servant like Moshe. But
Moshe is in fact so humble that he doesnt want the job! The more he protests, the
more Abba YHWH insists hes going to Egypt.
And Moshe is all too human in his attempts to wiggle out the job. He worries about
his abilities to present himself well, that he doesnt have enough knowledge, the
Egyptians and Hebrews wont listen to them. All of these things, and more, are
reality based concerns.
Its not like Moshe is lazy or has a low self-esteem. He is being practical in a manbased way. It is very much how we might assess our own limitations and stress out
over the demands of an imminent project.
Whats funny is that we might in a sense do the opposite in a job interviewperhaps
exaggerate slightly our skills or overly emphasize qualifications. Moshe though is
humble and he will not put any airs on for himself. And that is exactly what makes
him great, that he, as Yshua says, is really a servant. It is only servants who become
great in the kingdom.
Time and time again, that humility, even when frustrating Abba YHWH as Moshe
throws up one obstacle after another, remains the very thing that Abba YHWH
treasures the most about him. It is an object lesson for all of us, because, by humility
we become great and, in Moshes case at least, get know Abba YHWH PANIM AL
PANIM, face to face.
The other thing to look at is when Abba YHWH reveals Himself in Exodus 3 as the
Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac and the Elohim of Jacob Moshe doesnt seem
to bat an eyelash and ask, Im sorry, who are these guys again? Im just a stuttering
Egyptian prince! He already knows who Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are and what it
means to be related to them so how did he find out? Again he seems fully Egyptian
throughout Exodus 2, but then knows all about Abraham and company by Exodus 3.
What happened in between?
I believe the answer is that Born Identity, that innate drive in Moshe to find out all he
can about his situation in Midian. In the beginning he might have felt forced to stay
there, perhaps maybe he would raise up an army and return to Egypt to take the throne by
force.
But sometime before he decided to marry Tzipporah, either Abba YHWH directly or
someone else told him who he was. Right now, based on what I just figured out in terms
of genealogy, my wager is on his father in law Jethro or Reuel.

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As we saw earlier, Reuel is a son of Esau who is born in Canaan but migrates to Edomite
territory with his father later. As a result, Reuel is in a perfect position to keep tabs on
his extended Abrahamic family. The traders who sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt were
from Reuels hometown and as the fame of Joseph spread, Reuel would have known
exactly what his Canaanite cousins were up to throughout this time. His location would
have brought him into close proximity with his brother Eliphaz, as well as distant
relations from his relative Abraham through his wife Keturah, who gave birth to son
named Midian.
The caravans ran of course regularly from Egypt into Midian, and with them the news of
the day would have filtered through the merchants and others that knew Jethro well. And
so, when Esau becomes aware that Jacob is blessed to lead the patriarchal clana fact
that he does later embrace and acceptEsau must have communicated those facts down
to his descendants which would include Jethro.
Then, at some point I believe Moshe had a revelation from Abba YHWH, kind of like his
equivalent of Paul on the Damascus Road with something painful but life changing. But
I believe when Exodus 1:11 says that Moshe looked upon his people and noted their
burdens, given the fact that Moshe himself wrote those lines about himself, it seems
likely this is a clue that, by his 40th year, Moshe knows he is a Hebrew.
Moshe then recovers his lineage and understands his destiny, but that wont make it any
easier for him as he returns to confront Pharaoh and gives himdare I say itthe Born
Ultimatum.
Im Andrew Gabriel Roth and thats your Torah Thought for the Week!
Next week we will be exploring Vayera, or Exodus 6:2-9:35. Our Haftorah portion will
be Ezekiel 28:25-29:21 and our Renewed Covenant reading will be from Romans 9:14-17
and 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1. Stay tuned!

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