The Staff of Moses
Encyclopedia
According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, the staff used by Moses
(called a rod in the King James Bible) was by his side throughout important milestones in the narrative. Amongst these milestone events or "miracles of the exodus" the bible describes that the staff was used to produce water from a rock, invoke plagues on the Egyptians, and on several occasion was transformed into a snake and back.
Contrary to common conception there is no mention of the staff being used to part the Red Sea
.
The Midrash
(a homiletic
method of biblical exegesis
) states that the staff was passed down from generation to generation and was in the possession of the Judean kings until the First Temple was destroyed. It is unknown what became of the staff after the Temple was destroyed and the Jews were exiled from their land.
According to an identifying document at the Hagia Sophia
in Istanbul
, Moses's staff is on display today at the Topkapı Palace
, Istanbul
, Turkey
. The Topkapi Palace holds other reputedly holy relics, most notably of the Prophet Muhammad
. (Such as a his bow, his sword, his footprint, and even a tooth.) Topkapı Palace was officially designated a museum in 1924, and the holy relics were placed on public view on 31 August 1962. It is said that Sultan Selim I (1512–1520) brought the holy relics to Topkapi Palace after conquering Egypt in 1517. These holy relics were used every year for ceremonial purposes: On the fifteenth day of the month of Ramazan
several of the items were kissed by the Sultan
, his vezirs and dignitaries. This was believed to bring about the victory of good and the defeat of evil, during the reign of Sultan Selim.
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...
(called a rod in the King James Bible) was by his side throughout important milestones in the narrative. Amongst these milestone events or "miracles of the exodus" the bible describes that the staff was used to produce water from a rock, invoke plagues on the Egyptians, and on several occasion was transformed into a snake and back.
Contrary to common conception there is no mention of the staff being used to part the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
.
Present location
There are many speculations about what has happened to Moses's staff.The Midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
(a homiletic
Homiletics
Homiletics , in theology the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific department of public preaching. The one who practices or studies homiletics is called a homilist....
method of biblical exegesis
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
) states that the staff was passed down from generation to generation and was in the possession of the Judean kings until the First Temple was destroyed. It is unknown what became of the staff after the Temple was destroyed and the Jews were exiled from their land.
According to an identifying document at the Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Moses's staff is on display today at the Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
, Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The Topkapi Palace holds other reputedly holy relics, most notably of the Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. (Such as a his bow, his sword, his footprint, and even a tooth.) Topkapı Palace was officially designated a museum in 1924, and the holy relics were placed on public view on 31 August 1962. It is said that Sultan Selim I (1512–1520) brought the holy relics to Topkapi Palace after conquering Egypt in 1517. These holy relics were used every year for ceremonial purposes: On the fifteenth day of the month of Ramazan
Ramazan
The word Ramazan is used to refer to several different things:*People:** Ramazan Tavşancıoğlu, Australian football player** Ramazan Kurşunlu, Turkish football player** Ramazan Ramazanov, Russian kickboxer...
several of the items were kissed by the Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
, his vezirs and dignitaries. This was believed to bring about the victory of good and the defeat of evil, during the reign of Sultan Selim.