All that is known of Moses comes from the Bible and mostly from the book of Exodus, which tells the story of the "going out" of the Israelites from Egypt, of the covenant made with YHWH, and of the tabernacle. The J authors, Z 50 years after the likely time of the events depicted in Exodus, offer the earliest account; the E and P writers build on the J document. Originally, the material in Exodus belonged to four separate traditions, but by the J writers’ time in the 11th century B.C.E., these separate sources had been woven into a common strand.

The stories about Moses reflect an accurate picture of Egypt in the 13th century B.C.E., though much of the material in Exodus is legendary. The best guess of today’s scholars is that the events of Exodus may have taken place from 1290 to 1224 B.C.E., and that the Pharaoh was Ramses II. It would have been customary for nomadic people to be admitted to Egypt in times of famine, and it is known that during this time Ramses II launched vast building projects that needed much slave labor. The number of Egyptian loan-words found in Exodus is another reason to believe in the historicity of the basic story.

Did Moses actually exist? In the oldest section of Exodus, "The Song of Miriam," there is no mention of Moses. On the other hand, it is reasonable to assume that the legends about Moses are based on events in the life of a historic person. Details about him such as his Levite ancestry, his ability to deal with the Egyptians, and the descendants he left support such a belief. Though Exodus 2: 10 infers that the name Moses stems from his being drawn out of the water, most scholars believe it is an Egyptian root word for "to be born." It is found in names such as Tutmose, which means "Tut is born."

The nativity story is similar to other such tales in the Near East and elsewhere in which a king is warned that a child who is about to be born will in some way usurp his power. The king then tries to kill the child, who is saved by the deity and eventually does carry out the fore ordained plan for his life. Elements in this story are similar, for example, to one about the birth of Sargon I of Agade: "… my changeling mother conceived me, in secret she bore me. She set me in a basket of rushes, with bitumen she sealed my lid. She cast me into the river which rose not over me…." (Daiches, Moses: The Man and His Vision, p. 32).

The story of a cruel king who tries to kill a child destined for great things, only to be thwarted in the end, has intrinsic psychological appeal. Children identify with the hero who survives persecution and is eventually able to win the battle against such evils. The question of adoption may bring up special concerns. Though most children have concerns about adoption at one time or another, these issues are especially acute for children who are actually adopted. As you pose the discussion question about adoption, be sensitive to the children’s worries, and invite them to share their feelings. Reassure the children with the thoughts about the biological mother’s difficult but loving choice and the adoptive parents’ commitment, care, and love.