Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies

Moses, originally of a Chaldean302 This is the account given by Philo, of whose book on the life of Moses this chapter is an epitome, for the most part in Philo’s words. family, was born in Egypt, his ancestors having migrated from Babylon into Egypt on account of a protracted famine. Born in the seventh generation,303 “He was the seventh in descent from the first, who, being a foreigner, was the founder of the whole Jewish race.”—Philo. and having received a royal education, the following are the circumstances of his history. The Hebrews having increased in Egypt to a great multitude, and the king of the country being afraid of insurrection in consequence of their numbers, he ordered all the female children born to the Hebrews to be reared (woman being unfit for war), but the male to be destroyed, being suspicious of stalwart youth. But the child being goodly, his parents nursed him secretly three months, natural affection being too strong for the monarch’s cruelty. But at last, dreading lest they should be destroyed along with the child, they made a basket of the papyrus that grew there, put the child in it, and laid it on the banks of the marshy river. The child’s sister stood at a distance, and watched what would happen. In this emergency, the king’s daughter, who for a long time had not been pregnant, and who longed for a child, came that day to the river to bathe and wash herself; and hearing the child cry, she ordered it to be brought to her; and touched with pity, sought a nurse. At that moment the child’s sister ran up, and said that, if she wished, she could procure for her as nurse one of the Hebrew women who had recently had a child. And on her consenting and desiring her to do so, she brought the child’s mother to be nurse for a stipulated fee, as if she had been some other person. Thereupon the queen gave the babe the name of Moses, with etymological propriety, from his being drawn out of “the water,”304 [See Ex. ii. 10.]—for the Egyptians call water “mou,”—in which he had been exposed to die. For they call Moses one who “who breathed [on being taken] from the water.” It is clear that previously the parents gave a name to the child on his circumcision; and he was called Joachim. And he had a third name in heaven, after his ascension,305 [Concerning this, see Deut. xxxiii. 5. And as to “mystics,” with caution, may be read advantageously, the article “Mysteries,” Encyclop. Britann., vol. xxiii. p. 124.] as the mystics say—Melchi. Having reached the proper age, he was taught arithmetic, geometry, poetry, harmony, and besides, medicine and music, by those that excelled in these arts among the Egyptians; and besides, the philosophy which is conveyed by symbols, which they point out in the hieroglyphical inscriptions. The rest of the usual course of instruction, Greeks taught him in Egypt as a royal child, as Philo says in his life of Moses. He learned, besides, the literature of the Egyptians, and the knowledge of the heavenly bodies from the Chaldeans and the Egyptians; whence in the Acts306 Acts vii. 22. he is said “to have been instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” And Eupolemus, in his book On the Kings in Judea, says that “Moses was the first wise man, and the first that imparted grammar to the Jews, that the Phœnicians received it from the Jews, and the Greeks from the Phœnicians.” And betaking himself to their philosophy,307 Adopting the reading φιλοσοφίαν ἀΐ´ξας instead of φύσιν ἄξας. he increased his wisdom, being ardently attached to the training received from his kindred and ancestors, till he struck and slew the Egyptian who wrongfully attacked the Hebrew. And the mystics say that he slew the Egyptian by a word only; as, certainly, Peter in the Acts is related to have slain by speech those who appropriated part of the price of the field, and lied.308 Acts v. 1. And so Artapanus, in his work On the Jews, relates “that Moses, being shut up in custody by Chenephres, king of the Egyptians, on account of the people demanding to be let go from Egypt, the prison being opened by night, by the interposition of God, went forth, and reaching the palace, stood before the king as he slept, and aroused him; and that the latter, struck with what had taken place, bade Moses tell him the name of the God who had sent him; and that he, bending forward, told him in his ear; and that the king on hearing it fell speechless, but being supported by Moses, revived again.” And respecting the education of Moses, we shall find a harmonious account in Ezekiel,309 [Eusebius, Præp Evang., ix. 4.] the composer of Jewish tragedies in the drama entitled The Exodus. He thus writes in the person of Moses:—

“For, seeing our race abundantly increase,

His treacherous snares King Pharaoh ’gainst us laid,

And cruelly in brick-kilns some of us,

And some, in toilsome works of building, plagued.

And towns and towers by toil of ill-starred men

He raised. Then to the Hebrew race proclaimed,

That each male child should in deep-flowing Nile

Be drowned. My mother bore and hid me then

Three months (so afterwards she told). Then took,

And me adorned with fair array, and placed

On the deep sedgy marsh by Nilus bank,

While Miriam, my sister, watched afar.

Then, with her maids, the daughter of the king,

To bathe her beauty in the cleansing stream,

Came near, straight saw, and took and raised me up;

And knew me for a Hebrew. Miriam

My sister to the princess ran, and said,

‘Is it thy pleasure, that I haste and find

A nurse for thee to rear this child

Among the Hebrew women?’ The princess

Gave assent. The maiden to her mother sped,

And told, who quick appeared. My own

Dear mother took me in her arms. Then said

The daughter of the king: ‘Nurse me this child,

And I will give thee wages.’ And my name

Moses she called, because she drew and saved

Me from the waters on the river’s bank.

And when the days of childhood had flown by,

My mother brought me to the palace where

The princess dwelt, after disclosing all

About my ancestry, and God’s great gifts.

In boyhood’s years I royal nurture had,

And in all princely exercise was trained,

As if the princess’s very son. But when

The circling days had run their course,

I left the royal palace.”

Then, after relating the combat between the Hebrew and the Egyptian, and the burying of the Egyptian in the sand, he says of the other contest:—

“Why strike one feebler than thyself?

And he rejoined: Who made thee judge o’er us,

Or ruler? Wilt thou slay me, as thou didst

Him yesterday? And I in terror said,

How is this known?”

Then he fled from Egypt and fed sheep, being thus trained beforehand for pastoral rule. For the shepherd’s life is a preparation for sovereignty in the case of him who is destined to rule over the peaceful flock of men, as the chase for those who are by nature warlike. Thence God brought him to lead the Hebrews. Then the Egyptians, oft admonished, continued unwise; and the Hebrews were spectators of the calamities that others suffered, learning in safety the power of God. And when the Egyptians gave no heed to the effects of that power, through their foolish infatuation disbelieving, then, as is said, “the children knew” what was done; and the Hebrews afterwards going forth, departed carrying much spoil from the Egyptians, not for avarice, as the cavillers say, for God did not persuade them to covet what belonged to others. But, in the first place, they took wages for the services they had rendered the Egyptians all the time; and then in a way recompensed the Egyptians, by afflicting them in requital as avaricious, by the abstraction of the booty, as they had done the Hebrews by enslaving them. Whether, then, as may be alleged is done in war, they thought it proper, in the exercise of the rights of conquerors, to take away the property of their enemies, as those who have gained the day do from those who are worsted (and there was just cause of hostilities. The Hebrews came as suppliants to the Egyptians on account of famine; and they, reducing their guests to slavery, compelled them to serve them after the manner of captives, giving them no recompense); or as in peace, took the spoil as wages against the will of those who for a long period had given them no recompense, but rather had robbed them, [it is all one.]

Μωυσῆς [οὖν] ἄνωθεν τὸ γένος Χαλδαῖος ὢν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ γεννᾶται, τῶν προγόνων αὐτοῦ διὰ πολυχρόνιον λιμὸν ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος εἰς Αἴγυπτον μεταναστάντων. ἑβδόμῃ γενεᾷ γεννηθεὶς καὶ τραφεὶς βασιλικῶς περιστάσει κέχρηται τοιαύτῃ. εἰς πολυανθρωπίαν ἐπιδεδωκότων ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τῶν Ἑβραίων δείσας ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς χώρας τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους ἐπιβουλὴν τῶν γεννωμένων ἐκ τῶν Ἑβραίων κελεύει τὰ μὲν θήλεα τρέφειν αὐτούς (ἀσθενὲς γὰρ εἰς πόλεμον γυνή), διαφθείρειν δὲ τὰ ἄρρενα εὐαλκῆ νεότητα ὑφορώμενος. εὐπατρίδην δὲ τὸν παῖδα ὄντα τρεῖς ἐφεξῆς κρύπτοντες ἔτρεφον μῆνας οἱ γονεῖς νικώσης τῆς φυσικῆς εὐνοίας τὴν τυραννικὴν ὠμότητα, δείσαντες δὲ ὕστερον μὴ συναπόλωνται τῷ παιδί, ἐκ βίβλου τῆς ἐπιχωρίου σκεῦός τι ποιησάμενοι τὸν παῖδα ἐνθέμενοι ἐκτιθέασι παρὰ τὰς ὄχθας τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἑλώδους ὄντος, ἐπετήρει δὲ τὸ ἀποβησόμενον ἄπωθεν ἑστῶσα τοῦ παιδὸς ἡ ἀδελφή. ἐνταῦθα ἡ θυγάτηρ τοῦ βασιλέως, συχνῷ χρόνῳ μὴ κυΐσκουσα, τέκνων δὲ ἐπιθυμοῦσα, ἐκείνης ἀφικνεῖται τῆς ἡμέρας ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν λουτροῖς καὶ περιρραντηρίοις χρησομένη, ἐπακούσασα δὲ κλαυθμυριζομένου τοῦ παιδὸς κελεύει προσενεχθῆναι αὐτῇ καὶ κατοικτείρασα ἐζήτει τροφόν. ἐνταῦθα προσδρα μοῦσα ἡ ἀδελφὴ τοῦ παιδὸς ἔχειν ἔφασκεν Ἑβραίαν γυναῖκα μὴ πρὸ πολλοῦ τετοκυῖαν παραστῆσαι αὐτῇ τροφόν, εἰ βούλοιτο· τῆς δὲ συνθεμένης καὶ δεηθείσης παρήνεγκε τὴν μητέρα τὴν τοῦ παιδὸς τροφὸν ἐσομένην ὥς τινα ἄλλην οὖσαν ἐπὶ ῥητῷ μισθῷ. εἶτα τίθεται τῷ παιδίῳ ὄνομα ἡ βασιλὶς Μωυσῆν ἐτύμως διὰ τὸ ἐξ ὕδατος ἀνελέσθαι αὐτό (τὸ γὰρ ὕδωρ μῶυ ὀνομάζουσιν Αἰγύπτιοι), εἰς ὃ ἐκτέθειται τεθνηξόμενος. καὶ γάρ τοι Μωυσῆν τὸν ἀποπνεύσαντα τῷ ὕδατι προσαγορεύουσι. δῆλον οὖν ὡς ἐν τῷ ἔμπροσθεν χρόνῳ περιτμηθέντι τῷ παιδίῳ οἱ γονεῖς ἔθεντο ὄνομά τι, ἐκαλεῖτο δὲ Ἰωακείμ. ἔσχεν δὲ καὶ τρίτον ὄνομα ἐν οὐρανῷ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάληψιν, ὥς φασιν οἱ μύσται, Μελχί. ἐν δὲ ἡλικίᾳ γενόμενος ἀριθμητικήν τε καὶ γεωμετρίαν ῥυθμικήν τε καὶ ἁρμονικὴν ἔτι τε μετρικὴν ἅμα καὶ μουσικὴν παρὰ τοῖς διαπρέπουσιν Αἰγυπτίων ἐδιδάσκετο καὶ προσέτι τὴν διὰ συμβόλων φιλοσοφίαν, ἣν ἐν τοῖς ἱερογλυφικοῖς γράμμασιν ἐπιδείκνυνται. τὴν δὲ ἄλλην ἐγκύκλιον παιδείαν Ἕλληνες ἐδίδασκον ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, ὡς ἂν βασιλικὸν παιδίον, ᾗ φησι Φίλων ἐν τῷ Μωυσέως βίῳ, προσεμάνθανε δὲ τὰ Ἀσσυρίων γράμματα καὶ τὴν τῶν οὐρανίων ἐπιστήμην παρά τε Χαλδαίων παρά τε Αἰγυπτίων, ὅθεν ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι πᾶσαν σοφίαν Αἰγυπτίων πεπαιδεῦσθαι φέρεται. Εὐπόλεμος δὲ ἐν τῷ περὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ βασιλέων τὸν Μωυσῆ φησι πρῶτον σοφὸν γενέσθαι καὶ γραμματικὴν πρῶτον τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις παραδοῦναι καὶ παρὰ Ἰουδαίων Φοίνικας παραλαβεῖν, Ἕλληνας δὲ παρὰ Φοινίκων. εἰς δὲ τὴν ἀνδρῶν φύσιν ᾄξας ἐπέτεινε τὴν φρόνησιν, τὴν συγγενικὴν καὶ προγονικὴν ζηλώσας παιδείαν, ἄχρι καὶ τὸν Αἰγύπτιον τὸν τῷ Ἑβραίῳ ἀδίκως ἐπιθέμενον πατάξας ἀποκτεῖναι. φασὶ δὲ οἱ μύσται λόγῳ μόνῳ ἀνελεῖν τὸν Αἰγύπτιον, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει ὕστερον Πέτρος ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι φέρεται τοὺς νοσφισαμένους τῆς τιμῆς τοῦ χωρίου καὶ ψευσαμένους λόγῳ ἀποκτείνας. Ἀρτάπανος γοῦν ἐν τῷ περὶ Ἰουδαίων συγγράμματι ἱστορεῖ κατακλεισθέντα εἰς φυλακὴν Μωυσέα ὑπὸ Χενεφρέους τοῦ Αἰγυπτίων βασιλέως ἐπὶ τῷ παραιτεῖσθαι τὸν λαὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀπολυθῆναι, νύκτωρ ἀνοιχθέντος τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου κατὰ βούλησιν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξελθόντα καὶ εἰς τὰ βασίλεια παρελθόντα ἐπιστῆναι κοιμωμένῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ ἐξεγεῖραι αὐτόν, τὸν δὲ καταπλαγέντα τῷ γεγονότι κελεῦσαι τῷ Μωυσεῖ τὸ τοῦ πέμψαντος εἰπεῖν ὄνομα θεοῦ καὶ τὸν μὲν προσκύψαντα πρὸς τὸ οὖς εἰπεῖν, ἀκούσαντα δὲ τὸν βασιλέα ἄφωνον πεσεῖν, διακρατηθέντα δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ Μωυσέως πάλιν ἀναβιῶναι. Περὶ δὲ τῆς ἀνατροφῆς τοῦ Μωυσέως συνᾴσεται ἡμῖν καὶ ὁ Ἐζεκίηλος ὁ τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν τραγῳδιῶν ποιητὴς ἐν τῷ ἐπιγραφομένῳ δράματι Ἐξαγωγή γράφων ὧδε ἐκ προσώπου Μωυσέως· ἰδὼν γὰρ ἡμῶν γένναν ἅλις ηὐξημένην δόλον καθ' ἡμῶν πολὺν ἐμηχανήσατο βασιλεὺς Φαραώ, τοὺς μὲν ἐν πλινθεύμασιν οἰκοδομίαις τε βαρέσιν αἰκίζων βροτούς, πόλεις τ' ἐπύργου, σφῶν ἕκητι δυσμόρων· ἔπειτ' ἐκήρυσσ' ἡμῖν, Ἑβραίων γένει, τἀρσενικὰ ῥίπτειν ποταμὸν ἐς βαθύρροον. ἐνταῦθα μήτηρ ἡ τεκοῦσ' ἔκρυπτέ με τρεῖς μῆνας, ὡς ἔφασκεν· οὐ λαθοῦσα δὲ ὑπεξέθηκε, κόσμον ἀμφιθεῖσά μοι, παρ' ἄκρα ποταμοῦ, λάσιον εἰς ἕλος βαθύ. Μαριὰμ δ' ἀδελφή μου κατώπτευεν πέλας· κἄπειτα θυγάτηρ βασιλέως ἅβραις ὁμοῦ κατῆλθε λουτροῖς χρῶτα φαιδρῦναι νέον. ἰδοῦσα δ' εὐθὺς καὶ λαβοῦσ' ἀνείλετο, ἔγνω δ' Ἑβραῖον ὄντα· καὶ λέγει τάδε Μαριὰμ ἀδελφὴ προσδραμοῦσα βασιλίδι· θέλεις τροφόν σοι παιδὶ τῷδ' εὕρω ταχὺ ἐκ τῶν Ἑβραίων; ἡ δ' [ἐπ]έσπευσεν κόρην. μολοῦσα δ' εἶπεν μητρί, καὶ παρῆν ταχὺ αὐτή τε μήτηρ κἄλαβέν [μ'] εἰς ἀγκάλας. εἶπεν δὲ θυγάτηρ βασιλέως· τοῦτον, γύναι, τρόφευε, κἀγὼ μισθὸν ἀποδώσω σέθεν. ὄνομα δὲ Μωυσῆν ὠνόμαζ', ὅτου χάριν ὑγρᾶς ἀνεῖλε ποταμίας ἀπ' ᾐόνος. ἐπεὶ δὲ καιρὸς νηπίων παρῆλθέ μοι, ἦγέν με μήτηρ βασιλίδος πρὸς δώματα. ἅπαντα μυθεύσασα καὶ λέξασά μοι, γένος πατρῷον καὶ θεοῦ δωρήματα. ἕως μὲν οὖν τὸν παιδὸς εἴχομεν χρόνον, τροφαῖσι βασιλικαῖσι καὶ παιδεύμασιν ἅπανθ' ὑπισχνεῖτο, ὡς ἀπὸ σπλάγχνων ἑῶν· ἐπεὶ δὲ πλήρης κύκλος ἡμερῶν παρῆν, ἐξῆλθον οἴκων βασιλικῶν. ἔπειτα τὴν διαμάχην τοῦ θ' Ἑβραίου καὶ τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου διηγησάμενος καὶ τὴν ταφὴν τὴν ἐν τῇ ψάμμῳ τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου, ἐπὶ τῆς ἑτέρας μάχης φησὶν οὕτως· τί τύπτεις ἀσθενέστερον σέθεν; ὃ δ' εἶπεν· ἡμῖν τίς σ' ἀπέστειλε[ν] κριτὴν ἢ 'πιστάτην ἐνταῦθα; μὴ κτενεῖς δέ με ὥσπερ τὸν ἐχθὲς ἄνδρα; καὶ δείσας ἐγὼ ἔλεξα· πῶς ἐγένετο συμφανὲς τόδε; φεύγει δὴ ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ποιμαίνει πρόβατα προδιδασκόμενος εἰς ἡγεμονίαν ποιμενικῇ· προγυμνασία γὰρ βασιλείας τῷ μέλλοντι τῆς ἡμερωτάτης τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπιστατεῖν ἀγέλης ἡ ποιμενικὴ καθάπερ καὶ τοῖς πολεμικοῖς τῇ φύσει ἡ θηρευτική. ἄγει δὲ αὐτὸν ἐντεῦθεν ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν Ἑβραίων στρατηγίαν. ἔπειτα νουθετοῦνται μὲν Αἰγύπτιοι πολλάκις οἱ πολλάκις ἀσύνετοι, θεαταὶ δὲ Ἑβραῖοι ἐγίνοντο ὧν ἕτεροι κακῶν ὑπέμενον ἀκινδύνως ἐκμανθάνοντες τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ. ἔτι δὲ Αἰγύπτιοι ἀκοῇ μὴ παραδεχόμενοι τὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἀποτελέσματα, δι' ἀφροσύνην οἱ νήπιοι ἀπιστοῦντες, τότε ὡς εἴρηται, ῥεχθὲν δέ τε οἱ νήπιοι ἔγνωσαν ὕστερόν τε ἐξιόντες οἱ Ἑβραῖοι πολλὴν λείαν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἐκφορήσαντες ἀπῄεσαν, οὐ διὰ φιλοχρηματίαν, ὡς οἱ κατήγοροί φασιν (οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀλλοτρίων αὐτοὺς ἀνέπειθεν ἐπιθυμεῖν ὁ θεός), ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν ὧν παρὰ πάντα τὸν χρόνον ὑπηρέτησαν τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις μισθὸν ἀναγκαῖον κομιζόμενοι, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τρόπον τινὰ ἠμύναντο ἀντιλυποῦντες ὡς φιλαργύρους Αἰγυπτίους τῇ τῆς λείας ἐκφορήσει, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοι τοὺς Ἑβραίους τῇ καταδουλώσει. εἴτ' οὖν ὡς ἐν πολέμῳ φαίη τις τοῦτο γεγονέναι, τὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν φέρειν ἠξίουν νόμῳ τῶν κεκρατηκότων ὡς κρείττονες ἡττόνων (καὶ τοῦ πολέμου ἡ αἰτία δικαία· ἱκέται διὰ λιμὸν Ἑβραῖοι ἧκον πρὸς Αἰγυπτίους· οἳ δὲ τοὺς ξένους καταδουλωσάμενοι τρόπον αἰχμαλώτων ὑπηρετεῖν ἠνάγκασαν σφίσι μηδὲ τὸν μισθὸν ἀποδιδόντες), εἴτε ὡς ἐν εἰρήνῃ, μισθὸν ἔλαβον τὴν λείαν παρὰ ἀκόντων τῶν πολὺν χρόνον οὐκ ἀποδιδόντων, ἀλλὰ ἀποστερούντων.