The Name of Moses in an Egyptian Context—A Hypothetical Etymology
Name
The Name of Moses in an Egyptian Context A Hypothetical Etymology.pdf
Size
1.32 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
3496667a86005f9749a2f51e7f4e2673
Author(s)
Adair, Aaron
Date Issued
January 2, 2025
Journal
Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Citation
Adair, A. (2025). The Name of Moses in an Egyptian Context—A Hypothetical Etymology. Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, 39(1), 60–78.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
The etymological origins of the name “Moses” have been unclear, but an Egyptian candidate is the most likely hypothesis. In this article, a new proposal is given that finds the best candidate as the Demotic word, mšꜥ, but only in the late Persian period or later would it fit the Hebrew Mōše. Evidence from Greek orthography and testimony from Manetho provide a stronger basis for this proposal over prior candidates. However, this results in a Hellenistic-era inclusion of “Moses” into the Exodus narrative.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1080/09018328.2025.2452454
