Josephus states that Miriam marries Hur, Moses’ close companion. This article is about the biblical prophetess and sister of, Biblical narratives and the Qur'an § Miriam and Mary, "Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus, XXXII", Miriam’s Cup: Miriam’s Cup rituals for the family Passover seder, "Why Miriam's Cup? If the Bible was a Eurocentric book, I highly doubt that the story of Moses would include him having a black wife. Miriam does not appear again until much later in the Exodus story. She is shut outside the camp for the required period of time and the people wait for her. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus. (NIV) Here Moses is said to have a wife that is Cushite. Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. [41][42], There is no mention of Moses' sister's name specifically. Hebrew: kushiyth (Koo-sheeth’) a Cushite woman (Strongs Hebrew Dictionary). Zipporah or Tzipora (/ ˈ z ɪ p ər ə, z ɪ ˈ p ɔːr ə /; Hebrew: צִפֹּרָה ‎, Tsippōrāh, "bird") is mentioned in the Book of Exodus as the wife of Moses, and the daughter of Reuel/Jethro, the priest and prince of Midian. While the complaint was ostensibly against Moses’ wife , the discontent ran deeper: “‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses… The Midianites lived in … As you observed, we hear earlier of Moses marrying the daughter of Jethro the Midianite. Hence, as a result of Miriam's boldness, Moses was raised by his mother until he was weaned, at which time he was adopted by the princes and became a member of the Egyptian royal family. Thus, in addition to the traditional cup of wine that is set for the Prophet Elijah, some feminist-inspired Seders set a cup of water for Miriam which is sometimes also accompanied by a ritual in her honor. [9] In fact, King Saul[10] and even the Jewish People[11] are referred to by the term "Cushite". Miriam and Aaron are instructed to step forward and God explains to them that Moses is different from other prophets: What God seems to be saying in this text is that whereas God appears to other prophets in visions, with Moses God speaks "face to face, clearly and not in riddles" (Numbers 12:6-9). It is from this part of her story that the relatively new tradition of Miriam's Cup at the Passover seder is derived. The text reads, "Miriam died there, and was buried there. Aaron pleads to Moses for her healing and Moses prays to the Lord, "O God, please heal her!" Miriam (.mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Frank Ruehl CLM","Taamey Frank CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans}מִרְיָם‎ Mīrəyām) was described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. Scripture describes her alongside of Moses and Aaron as delivering the Jews from exile in Egypt: "For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam". Some commentators relate the lack of water to a magical well that had followed Miriam around throughout her life, drying up with her death. Elijah's Cup and Miriam's Cup During Passover Seder, Hebrew Names for Girls and Their Meanings, The Order and Meaning of the Passover Seder. But he adds that since there is a place called Cushan which is a region of Midian, and Moses’ wife Tzipora has already been identified as a Midianite, it is possible that the term "Cushite" relates to Tzipora's being from Cushan. Miriam's mother, Yocheved, has been hiding Miriam's infant brother, Moses, for three months. [22] Therefore, even according to Josephus, Moses' first marriage to Tharbis as military leader of Egypt terminated long before his later marriage to Tzipora as fugitive from Egypt, such that the Cushite wife of Moses mentioned in the Torah after the Exodus appears to be Tzipora, as explained above. Surprisingly, Aaron is not afflicted or punished in any way, though he too spoke against Moses. Miriam first appears in the biblical book of Exodus not long after Pharaoh decrees that all newborn Hebrew boys will be drowned in the Nile river. Miriam was the daughter of Amram and Jochebed; she was the sister of Aaron and Moses, the leader of the Israelites in ancient Egypt. [31][32], Some Modern Orthodox Jews have revived an ancient custom[33] of adding a piece of fish to the Seder plate in honor of Miriam who is associated with water, based on the teaching in the Talmud[26] that God gave manna (on the ground) in the merit of Moses, clouds of glory (in the sky) in the merit of Aaron and a well (of water) in the merit of Miriam. We know this because of Jeremiah 13:23: Can the Ethiopian [the same Hebrew word translated Cushite in Numbers 12:1] change his skin or the leopard his spots? [20] In fact, Josephus[21] himself later records Moses' marriage to Tzipora as separate and subsequent to his earlier marriage to Tharbis. The waters of the well were drawn after the mark and thus supplied water for each of the Tribes. The only justification they could find for Moses' celibacy was in order to maintain his prophetic state. We can prove that by tracing their lineages in scripture. A Cushite is from Cush, a region south of Ethiopia, where the people are known for their black skin. Why Aaron And Miriam Were Against Moses. We learn in Numbers that Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman (Num. When Zipporah heard this, she said, “Woe to their wives if they are required to prophesy, for they will separate from their wives just as … I assumed they were kidding when they called this book “Numbers.” But no. Moses’ prominence and influence with the people may have created in Miriam and Aaron a jealous desire for more authority, so that they kept saying: “Is it … Following this encounter, Miriam discovers that her skin is white and that she is afflicted with leprosy. Miriam, who judging by her punishment seems to have been the ringleader, is struck with leprosy. Moses responds immediately, crying out to God in Numbers 12:13: "O Lord, please heal her" ("El nah, refah na lah"). Some say this identifies her as a descendant of Noah’s grandson Cush. Furthermore, according to the conclusion of the Tharbis legend, Moses fashioned a miraculous ring which caused her to forget her love for him, and he then returned to Egypt alone. Zipporah was a worshiper of the true God. The princess agrees and Miriam brings none other than her own mother to care for Moses. According to the Midrash, the Leviathan and Behemoth,[38] as well as the Ziz,[39] are to be served at the Seudat Techiyat HaMetim[40] (the feast for the righteous following the Resurrection of the Dead), to which the Passover Seder alludes, insofar as it commemorates the past Redemption together with the Cup of Elijah's heralding the future, Final Redemption. Miriam died and was buried there."[7]. The First Wife of Moses. She is just referred to as "his sister" or "Moses's sister.". [citation needed] However, noting the wording of the verse, "God's wrath flared against them [i.e., both Aaron and Miriam]", the Talmud appears to conclude that Aaron was also smitten with tzara'at initially, but was then immediately cured.[16]. Your censure is directed to Me, rather than to him, for 'the receiver is no better than the thief,' and if Moses is not worthy of his calling, I, his Master, deserve censure."[13]. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin suggests this difference stems from the Hebrew verb used to describe their comments about Moses' wife. According to the Hebrew Bible, Miriam was the older sister of Moses and Aaron. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin suggests this difference stems from the Hebrew verb used to describe their comments about Moses' wife. In response to Miriam’s criticism, God does not get angry at Moses; he gets angry at Miriam. [34] Similarly, the lamb, egg and fish also allude to the three mythical creatures in Jewish tradition—the land beast Behemoth,[35] the bird Ziz,[36] and the sea-creature Leviathan,[37] respectively. 12:1). 2:18 ). Answer: The Bible does not say much about Moses’ wife, Zipporah. Yet in the Book of Numbers Moses’s sister Miriam is upset about his having taken a “Cushite” wife. Zipporah may still be alive at this time, since it was common for high-status Hebrew men to have more than wife. However, Numbers 12:1 speaks of Moses’ wife not as a Midianite, but rather as a Cushite. Afterwards, "God's wrath flared against them. When she returns, Miriam has been healed and the Israelites move on to the Desert of Paran. [7], Rashi says that this well was the same rock from which Moses brought forth water after Miriam's death. Both Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, but only Miriam contracted tzara'at. In Numbers 12, Moses’ brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, try to launch a revolt against his authority. … R. Nathan says: Miriam was beside Zipporah when Moses was told that Eldad and Medad [newly appointed prophets] were prophesying in the camp. 12 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he … In any case, the story of Moses’s Cushite wife offers no support for racial mixing. [6]:71, In the biblical narrative of The Exodus, Miriam is described as a "prophetess" when she leads the Israelites in the Song of the Sea after Pharaoh's army is destroyed at the Sea of Reeds. Immediately after Miriam’s death, the Israelites quarrel with her brothers Moses and Aaron for lack of water. We know that she was the daughter of a man called Jethro (or Reuel), who was a priest in the land of Midian ( Exodus 3:1; cf. Miriam was the daughter of Amram and Jochebed; she was the sister of Aaron and Moses, the leader of the Israelites in ancient Egypt. She was also a prophetess in her own right. The Midianites were descendants of Abraham through his wife Keturah (Genesis 25:1-4). Her … Miriam had godly parents who trusted the God of Israel, however, Egypts Pharoah hated her people. Afterward, Miriam is left with bodily tzara'at, which according to Jewish sources is a divine punishment for slander. The idea that Moses had a black wife apparently comes from Numbers 12:1 which says Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of his Cushite wife. "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you," Pharaoh's daughter says to Yocheved (Exodus 2:9). And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. The straight answer is ‘probably not’. The most explicit statement relates to the marriage: "Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman." Miriam's death is described in Numbers 20:1 and in the next verse, the Israelites are described as complaining of the lack of water at Kadesh. I can’t imagine Miriam and Aaron giving Moses such a hard time if his wife were an “exceptional creature.” God was very upset with Miriam and Aaron for raining on Moses… hath he not spoken also by us?" [29] Miriam's Cup originated in the 1980s in a Boston Rosh Chodesh group; it was invented by Stephanie Loo, who filled it with what she referred to as mayim chayim (living waters) and used it in a feminist ceremony of guided meditation. When Miriam is re-introduced in this part of the story, the text refers to her as a "prophetess" (Exodus 15:20) and later in Numbers 12:2 she reveals that God has spoken to her. He describes the Aaronid priesthood in the Kingdom of Judah, which claimed descent from Aaron and which controlled the Temple in Jerusalem, as opposed to a priesthood which claimed allegiance to Moses and was based at Shiloh in the Kingdom of Israel. Miriam asks Pharaoh's wife and her handmaidens to have his own mother act as nursemaid to Moses, the mother's identity not being known to Pharaoh's wife (28:12–13). After which time, upon fleeing as a solitary fugitive from Egypt,[19] the only marriage of Moses that the Torah records is with Tzipora the daughter of Yitro the Midianite. The former Hebrew slaves have crossed the Red Sea and the waters have crashed down upon the Egyptian soldiers that were pursuing them. Yocheved puts Moses in a waterproofed wicker basket and places it in the Nile, hoping the river will carry her son to safety. In a cryptic episode in the Torah, Miriam talked to Aaron about Moses "concerning the 'Cushite[1] wife' whom he married, for he married a 'Cushite wife'. Other scholars point to this very passage as emphatically saying the opposite: Moses did have more than one wife, hence the narrative's emphasis at the end of vs 1: While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman) Therefore, God was specifically rebuking Miriam, in explaining the difference between her calling and Moses's calling. At the beginning of Numbers 20, there is a brief notation that Miriam dies at the first new moon; unfortunately, neither the month nor the year is given. Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil. In other words, Moses has a closer relationship with God than other prophets. In other documents she is purported to be Hur’s mother and the wife of Caleb. [5], The narrative of Moses' infancy in the Torah describes an unnamed sister of Moses observing him being placed in the Nile (Exodus 2:4); she is traditionally identified as Miriam. Rashi tells us that Moses had divorced his wife: How did she [Miriam] know that Moses had separated from his wife? Miriam would have been only about 5 years old when this baby, Moses was born. And there was no water for the congregation. However, Numbers 12:1 leads many to surmise another wife: “Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his … It would show that while Miriam and Aaron were technically correct in denouncing Moses’s marriage, their motive in advancing this pretext was as malicious as their desire to remove Moses from power, namely, because that union was a marriage in name only. In the Book of Chronicles, two of her grandsons are mentioned: Shebuel, son of Gershom, and Rehabiah, son of Eliezer (1 Chronicles 23:16-17 The Bible does not explicitly say that Moses had more than one wife. This usage of the word Cushite is non-pejorative and is often used in Jewish sources as a term for someone unique and outstanding. Miriam also appears in the biblical book of Numbers, when she and her brother Aaron speak unfavorably about the Cushite woman Moses is married to. A Mosque in the area of Medina, possibly: This page was last edited on 27 December 2020, at 05:34. Attention is drawn to the … Moses teaches that Israelites are not to marry foreigners (Deut. "[12] Rabbi Louis Ginzberg wrote the anger of God to them. Upon seeing Miriam's punishment Aaron asks Moses to speak to God on her behalf. However, this was after his time on Sinai, when he had become entirely holy, so it was too late to consummate the marriage. This explains their claim that God spoke not only to Moses but also to them, yet they had not separated from their spouses. They disapproved of this separation because they considered her to be outstandingly righteous, much as a dark-skinned person stands out among light-skinned people—hence the reference to Tzipora as a "Cushite". Later, as the Israelites wander through the desert in search of the Promised Land, the midrash tells us that a well of water followed Miriam and quenched the people's thirst. [23] However, Friedman's primary interest is not in the identity of the Cushite woman, but rather in the outcome of this story which establishes Moses' superiority over Aaron as an example of his claim that rival priesthoods created or publicized tales in order to legitimize their respective claims to privilege and power. Miriam is most well-known to us as Moses's big sister. ", In Jewish folk-religious tradition this abrupt transition between her passing and the lack of water was explained by postulating a "well of Miriam" that dried up when she died. The Cushite wife appears some years later in Moses’ story, during the wandering in the desert (you can read about the dispute between Miriam, Aaron and the Cushite wife at Miriam’s story.) Mosos wife The Cushite reference to the wife of Moses occurs at Numbers 12. Moses meets Miriam and Aaron and was revealed that he was their younger brother.All rights reserved to DreamWorks We first learn of Miriam as she and her three-year-old brother, Aaron, are welcoming a new child into the family.Unfortunately for that time, the baby was a boy, and there is a decree that all Hebrew baby boys be killed. On the surface, they seem to take little or no time to grieve. Richard E. Friedman writes that since Cush is generally understood to mean "Ethiopia", it is possible that the "Cushite woman" is not Tzipora. [6]:71, The Torah describes Miriam and Aaron as being rebuked by God for criticizing Moses on account of his "Cushite" wife, after which Miriam is punished for a week with tzara’at ("leprosy", Numbers 12). God thus demonstrated to them Moses' unique level of prophecy for which he had to be prepared at all times, thereby justifying his separation from Tzipora. The Torah refers to her as "Miriam the Prophetess"[1] and the Talmud[2] names her as one of the seven major female prophets of Israel. Pharaoh's daughter sends one of her servants to fetch the basket from among the reeds and finds Moses when she opens it. (See "The Passover Story" for more information.). But God rebuked them by calling them all out "suddenly", causing Miriam and Aaron a great burning sensation since they lacked immersion in a mikva after marital relations. Moses has commanded Pharaoh to let his people go and God has sent the ten plagues down upon Egypt. Miriam follows at a distance and sees the basket float near Pharaoh's daughter, who is bathing in the Nile. [27] The Midrash states that when they encamped, the leader of each Tribe took his staff to the well and drew a line in the sand toward his Tribe's encampment. Numbers 12:1. What makes us think Moses’ wife … Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. [14] This was because she, not Aaron, was the one who initiated the complaint against Moses. Miriam here claimed equality with Moses, ignoring the fact that God had placed Moses in a unique position of authority (Ex. Both Miriam and Aaron criticize Moses for marrying a Cushite or Ethiopian woman, but Miriam is listed first (Numbers 12:1) so it is likely she instigated the complaint. Moses Wife: The Ethiopian Woman. In their merit they received three great gifts: the Well [Miriam], the Clouds of Glory [Aaron] and the Manna [Moses]." She leads the women in a dance while singing: "Sing to the Lord, for God is highly exalted. However, the identity of the Cushite woman referred to in this story is tangential to Friedman and his opinion remains inconclusive. Chapter 1 to Chapter 3. William Morrow: New York, 1997. 7:3), yet he himself has a foreign wife (Num. 34:10). Because Without Miriam, Jewish Life Would Not Exist | The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California", "Defrosting Judaism: A Look at the Ritualwell Website", "Mo'ed l'Khol Chai, Izmir, 1861, Chapter 4, sec. It is feminine -- ve'teddaber ("and she spoke") -- indicating that Miriam was the one who initiated the conversation against Moses (Telushkin, 130). [11] In the story Aaron and Miriam harshly criticize Moses' marriage to a Cushite or Kushite woman after he returned to Egypt to set the children of Israel free. “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman”. Specifically, Miriam is deeply connected to the concept of redemption – from Egypt, initially, and then extending into the future, to the final redemption at the end of days. The criticism has to do with Moses’ marriage and Moses’ authority. Throughout this essay we will gain a recognition of Miriam's qualities and the effect she had on the destiny of the Jewish nation. In Numbers 12:1, Moses wife became the apparent reason for Miriam and Aaron's rebellion against Moses. Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against a man like Moses, who is, moreover, My servant? When Miriam died, the well was removed as is evidenced by the fact that immediately after the verse "And Miriam died", There was no water for the community. Several chapters later, in Numbers 20, she dies and is buried at Kadesh. Using interpretations from the documentary hypothesis, he notes that this story, which he calls "Snow-White Miriam", was authored by the Elohist who he claims was from, or supported, the Shiloh priesthood, and thus promoted this tale to assert Moses’ superiority over Aaron and thereby belittle the Aaronid priesthood in Judah. Now the sister and brother challenge Moses about his wife. Others have suggested that Aaron was not afflicted with leprosy because, as the High Priest, it would not have been seemly for his body to be touched by such a dreaded disease of the flesh. But as the child grows older Yocheved decides that it is no longer safe for him at home -- after all, it would only take one ill-timed cry for an Egyptian guard to discover the child. Telushkin, Joseph. Apparently, after the Exodus Moses summoned the Cushite woman and she happily joined the Israelites and converted to Judaism. 24:9) Yet the Torah’s account of this event is rather obscure. [2]" Many Rabbinic commentaries follow the understanding of the Midrash that Moses' "Cushite wife" was Zipporah. [28], Miriam is a popular figure among some Jewish feminists. Moses did not violate the principle of non-marriage with the heathen when he took her to wife, as they apparently claimed. 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