Chronicle of Moses
Encyclopedia
The Chronicle of Moses is one of the smaller midrashim
. In this midrash, which is written in pure (pseudo-biblical) Hebrew, and which is in many portions only provides a mere hint of verses from the Bible
in a close imitation of Biblical style, is presented a history of the life of Moses
embellished with many legends.
These legends must be very old, since the same or similar stories are found as early as Josephus
(Ant. ii. 9, §§ 2 et seq.).; viz., the stories of the wise men's prophecy to the king of a birth of a child who some day will destroy the power of the Egyptians
(in the midrash the interpretation of a dream replaces the prophecy; comp. also Targ. Yer. 1 to Ex. i. 15), upon which prophecy followed the command of the king to cast the male children of the Israelites into the river; the crown which the king places upon Moses' head, and which the latter casts to the earth (in the midrash Moses is described as taking the crown from the king's head); Moses as leader of the Israelites in a war against the Ethiopians, his use of the ibis
in combating the snakes that have made his way dangerous, and the love of the king's daughter for him (according to the midrash Moses enters the camp of the Ethiopian king קיקנוס, upon whose death he marries the latter's widow, and, overcoming the dangers due to the snakes, captures the long-besieged city).
According to A. Jellinek (B. H. ii., p. viii.), the life of Moses was originally treated in detail in a chronicle which employed sources still older. This work was incorporated in the well-known collection of legends entitled Sefer ha-Yashar; and from this the Yalḳuṭ
took extracts which agree with the Sefer ha-Yashar and not with the present Chronicle of Moses. At a later time, however, a shorter recension of the older chronicle was made, which is the one now existing. According to , the work probably dates to the 10th or 11th century. It was published at Constantinople
in 1516, at Venice
in 1564, and elsewhere, and was reprinted by Jellinek (l.c. ii. 1-13). Extracts were made from the chronicle by the author of the Midrash Wayosha; and it was one of the sources of the Shemot Rabbah; it was likewise cited in the Aruk, by Ibn Ezra
(who rejects it as apocryphal) on Ex. ii. 22, and by Samuel ben Meïr on Book of Numbers
.
Smaller midrashim
A number of midrashim exist which are smaller in size, and generally later in date, than those dealt with in the articles Midrash Haggadah and Midrash Halakah....
. In this midrash, which is written in pure (pseudo-biblical) Hebrew, and which is in many portions only provides a mere hint of verses from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in a close imitation of Biblical style, is presented a history of the life of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
embellished with many legends.
These legends must be very old, since the same or similar stories are found as early as Josephus
Josephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
(Ant. ii. 9, §§ 2 et seq.).; viz., the stories of the wise men's prophecy to the king of a birth of a child who some day will destroy the power of the Egyptians
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
(in the midrash the interpretation of a dream replaces the prophecy; comp. also Targ. Yer. 1 to Ex. i. 15), upon which prophecy followed the command of the king to cast the male children of the Israelites into the river; the crown which the king places upon Moses' head, and which the latter casts to the earth (in the midrash Moses is described as taking the crown from the king's head); Moses as leader of the Israelites in a war against the Ethiopians, his use of the ibis
Ibis
The ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae....
in combating the snakes that have made his way dangerous, and the love of the king's daughter for him (according to the midrash Moses enters the camp of the Ethiopian king קיקנוס, upon whose death he marries the latter's widow, and, overcoming the dangers due to the snakes, captures the long-besieged city).
According to A. Jellinek (B. H. ii., p. viii.), the life of Moses was originally treated in detail in a chronicle which employed sources still older. This work was incorporated in the well-known collection of legends entitled Sefer ha-Yashar; and from this the Yalḳuṭ
Yalkut
There are several rabbinical works that bear the title "Yalkut" :*Yalkut Yosef*Yalkut Shimoni*Yalkut Makiri*Yalkut Reuveni...
took extracts which agree with the Sefer ha-Yashar and not with the present Chronicle of Moses. At a later time, however, a shorter recension of the older chronicle was made, which is the one now existing. According to , the work probably dates to the 10th or 11th century. It was published at Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
in 1516, at Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in 1564, and elsewhere, and was reprinted by Jellinek (l.c. ii. 1-13). Extracts were made from the chronicle by the author of the Midrash Wayosha; and it was one of the sources of the Shemot Rabbah; it was likewise cited in the Aruk, by Ibn Ezra
Abraham ibn Ezra
Rabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
(who rejects it as apocryphal) on Ex. ii. 22, and by Samuel ben Meïr on Book of Numbers
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
.