Was Moses Perceived as a Magician? A Socio-Historical Exploration of Moses' Wonder-Working in the Narratives of the Pentateuch within the Context of Ancient Egyptian and Israelite Magic

Abstract

This thesis examines the portrayal of Moses as a wonder-worker and possible magician in the narratives of the Pentateuch and in light of ancient Near Eastern evidence of magico-religious practices. A socio-historical methodology is used to explore the context of magic in the Hebrew Bible and ancient Near East, with particular interest in ancient Egypt as it is the literary backdrop to the Moses narratives. The historical veracity of the events depicted in these narratives are not of interest to this study, but rather how the ancient Near Eastern milieu sheds lights on the narratives that depict Moses performing wonders. The first chapter introduces the challenges and debates in defining magic. Paradigms stemming from 19th and early 20th century social scientists often place religion and magic in opposition with each other. In such models, magic is portrayed as an inferior and illicit practice. However, this dichotomy between religion and magic does not reflect the context of the ancient Near East and is challenged in this study. Chapter Two surveys this theme through exploring interaction with the divine in the ancient Near East. It is through this broader framework of divine interactions that magic is understood. As a result of the evidence explored in the survey, the focus narrows to magic in ancient Egypt (Chapter Three). Evidence of magico-religious practices in Egypt are examined in depth and specific concepts, such as heka and maat, are highlighted for their significance in Egypt and with potential consequences for the Moses narratives. The biblical texts are examined in Chapter Four and include portions of Exodus 4, 7-12, 14-15, 17, 32; Numbers 17, 20-21, and Deuteronomy 13, 18, 34. The selected passages from Exodus and Numbers are used in this research to demonstrate occasions where Moses engaged in performing wonders. These are accomplished by means of the staff, gesture, contact, and words, which are also attested in ancient Near Eastern magico-religious contexts. The passages of Deuteronomy are included as they list prohibitions against magic and warnings against false prophets. These bans of magic are read against the narratives in Exodus-Numbers. Chapter Five places the Egyptian evidence from Chapter Three in a direct comparison with the Moses narratives, so as to make final assessments of this evidence and draw implications for the way Moses is portrayed as a wonder-worker.

Date of Award	31 Dec 2019
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Kent Brower (Supervisor) & Dwight Swanson (Supervisor)