摩西 Moses

活动时期约西元前13世纪
犹太教中的先知。根据〈出埃及记〉所载，他出生于埃及，父母为希伯来人。为了逃过一项杀死所有希伯来新生儿男婴的法令，他被放入芦苇摇篮中漂到尼罗河上。他被法老王的女儿发现，在埃及宫廷长大。在他杀害残忍的埃及工头之后，他逃到米甸，雅赫维（即上帝）曾在此显身于燃烧的树丛中，召唤摩西将以色列人带出埃及。在其兄弟亚伦的帮助下，摩西请求法老王释放以色列人。在神降临几次瘟疫给埃及之后，法老王终于同意他的请求，但又派兵追捕他们。上帝将红海海水分开让以色列人通过，然后合拢阻挡追赶的埃及人。上帝人和以色列人在西奈山定约，并授摩西“十诫”，摩西继续带领人民在荒野流浪了四十年，直到他们到达迦南的边缘地带。摩西在未进入上帝应许之地前就去世。据说他是《希伯来圣经》（参阅Torah）前五卷的作者。

Prophet of Judaism. According to the Book of Exodus, he was born in Egypt to Hebrew parents, who set him afloat on the Nile in a reed basket to save him from an edict calling for the death of all newborn Hebrew males. Found by the pharaoh's daughter, he was reared in the Egyptian court. After killing a brutal Egyptian taskmaster, he fled to Midian, where Yahweh (God) revealed himself in a burning bush and called Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. With the help of his brother Aaron, Moses pleaded with the pharaoh for the Israelites' release. The pharaoh let them go after God had visited a series of plagues on Egypt, but then sent his army after them. God parted the waters of the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to pass, then drowned the pursuing Egyptians. God made a covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai and delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses, who continued to lead his people through 40 years of wandering in the wilderness until they reached the edge of Canaan. He died before he could enter the Promised Land. Authorship of the first five books of the Bible (see Torah) is traditionally ascribed to him.