Antiquities Book 2, Chapter 12
Concerning The Burning Bush And The Rod Of Moses.
1. Now Moses, when he had obtained the favor of Jethro, for that was one
of the names of Raguel, staid there and fed his flock; but some time
afterward, taking his station at the mountain called Sinai, he drove his
flocks thither to feed them. Now this is the highest of all the
mountains thereabout, and the best for pasturage, the herbage being
there good; and it had not been before fed upon, because of the opinion
men had that God dwelt there, the shepherds not daring to ascend up to
it; and here it was that a wonderful prodigy happened to Moses; for a
fire fed upon a thorn bush, yet did the green leaves and the flowers
continue untouched, and the fire did not at all consume the fruit
branches, although the flame was great and fierce. Moses was affrighted
at this strange sight, as it was to him; but he was still more
astonished when the fire uttered a voice, and called to him by name, and
spake words to him, by which it signified how bold he had been in
venturing to come into a place whither no man had ever come before,
because the place was divine; and advised him to remove a great way off
from the flame, and to be contented with what he had seen; and though he
were himself a good man, and the offspring of great men, yet that he
should not pry any further; and he foretold to him, that he should have
glory and honor among men, by the blessing of God upon him. He also
commanded him to go away thence with confidence to Egypt, in order to
his being the commander and conductor of the body of the Hebrews, and to
his delivering his own people from the injuries they suffered there:
"For," said God, "they shall inhabit this happy land which your
forefather Abraham inhabited, and shall have the enjoyment of all good
things." But still he enjoined them, when he brought the Hebrews out of
the land of Egypt, to come to that place, and to offer sacrifices of
thanksgiving there, Such were the divine oracles which were delivered
out of the fire.
2. But Moses was astonished at what he saw, and much more at what he
heard; and he said, "I think it would be an instance of too great
madness, O Lord, for one of that regard I bear to thee, to distrust thy
power, since I myself adore it, and know that it has been made manifest
to my progenitors: but I am still in doubt how I, who am a private man,
and one of no abilities, should either persuade my own countrymen to
leave the country they now inhabit, and to follow me to a land whither I
lead them; or, if they should be persuaded, how can I force Pharaoh to
permit them to depart, since they augment their own wealth and
prosperity by the labors and works they put upon them?"
3. But God persuaded him to be courageous on all occasions, and promised
to be with him, and to assist him in his words, when he was to persuade
men; and in his deeds, when he was to perform wonders. He bid him also
to take a signal of the truth of what he said, by throwing his rod upon
the ground, which, when he had done, it crept along, and was become a
serpent, and rolled itself round in its folds, and erected its head, as
ready to revenge itself on such as should assault it; after which it
become a rod again as it was before. After this God bid Moses to put his
right hand into his bosom: he obeyed, and when he took it out it was
white, and in color like to chalk, but afterward it returned to its
wonted color again. He also, upon God's command, took some of the water
that was near him, and poured it upon the ground, and saw the color was
that of blood. Upon the wonder that Moses showed at these signs, God
exhorted him to be of good courage, and to be assured that he would be
the greatest support to him; and bid him make use of those signs, in
order to obtain belief among all men, that "thou art sent by me, and
dost all things according to my commands. Accordingly I enjoin thee to
make no more delays, but to make haste to Egypt, and to travel night and
day, and not to draw out the time, and so make the slavery of the
Hebrews and their sufferings to last the longer."
4. Moses having now seen and heard these wonders that assured him of the
truth of these promises of God, had no room left him to disbelieve them:
he entreated him to grant him that power when he should be in Egypt; and
besought him to vouchsafe him the knowledge of his own name; and since
he had heard and seen him, that he would also tell him his name, that
when he offered sacrifice he might invoke him by such his name in his
oblations. Whereupon God declared to him his holy name, which had never
been discovered to men before; concerning which it is not lawful for me
to say any more 24 Now these signs accompanied Moses, not then only, but
always when he prayed for them: of all which signs he attributed the
firmest assent to the fire in the bush; and believing that God would be
a gracious supporter to him, he hoped he should be able to deliver his
own nation, and bring calamities on the Egyptians.
of the names of Raguel, staid there and fed his flock; but some time
afterward, taking his station at the mountain called Sinai, he drove his
flocks thither to feed them. Now this is the highest of all the
mountains thereabout, and the best for pasturage, the herbage being
there good; and it had not been before fed upon, because of the opinion
men had that God dwelt there, the shepherds not daring to ascend up to
it; and here it was that a wonderful prodigy happened to Moses; for a
fire fed upon a thorn bush, yet did the green leaves and the flowers
continue untouched, and the fire did not at all consume the fruit
branches, although the flame was great and fierce. Moses was affrighted
at this strange sight, as it was to him; but he was still more
astonished when the fire uttered a voice, and called to him by name, and
spake words to him, by which it signified how bold he had been in
venturing to come into a place whither no man had ever come before,
because the place was divine; and advised him to remove a great way off
from the flame, and to be contented with what he had seen; and though he
were himself a good man, and the offspring of great men, yet that he
should not pry any further; and he foretold to him, that he should have
glory and honor among men, by the blessing of God upon him. He also
commanded him to go away thence with confidence to Egypt, in order to
his being the commander and conductor of the body of the Hebrews, and to
his delivering his own people from the injuries they suffered there:
"For," said God, "they shall inhabit this happy land which your
forefather Abraham inhabited, and shall have the enjoyment of all good
things." But still he enjoined them, when he brought the Hebrews out of
the land of Egypt, to come to that place, and to offer sacrifices of
thanksgiving there, Such were the divine oracles which were delivered
out of the fire.
2. But Moses was astonished at what he saw, and much more at what he
heard; and he said, "I think it would be an instance of too great
madness, O Lord, for one of that regard I bear to thee, to distrust thy
power, since I myself adore it, and know that it has been made manifest
to my progenitors: but I am still in doubt how I, who am a private man,
and one of no abilities, should either persuade my own countrymen to
leave the country they now inhabit, and to follow me to a land whither I
lead them; or, if they should be persuaded, how can I force Pharaoh to
permit them to depart, since they augment their own wealth and
prosperity by the labors and works they put upon them?"
3. But God persuaded him to be courageous on all occasions, and promised
to be with him, and to assist him in his words, when he was to persuade
men; and in his deeds, when he was to perform wonders. He bid him also
to take a signal of the truth of what he said, by throwing his rod upon
the ground, which, when he had done, it crept along, and was become a
serpent, and rolled itself round in its folds, and erected its head, as
ready to revenge itself on such as should assault it; after which it
become a rod again as it was before. After this God bid Moses to put his
right hand into his bosom: he obeyed, and when he took it out it was
white, and in color like to chalk, but afterward it returned to its
wonted color again. He also, upon God's command, took some of the water
that was near him, and poured it upon the ground, and saw the color was
that of blood. Upon the wonder that Moses showed at these signs, God
exhorted him to be of good courage, and to be assured that he would be
the greatest support to him; and bid him make use of those signs, in
order to obtain belief among all men, that "thou art sent by me, and
dost all things according to my commands. Accordingly I enjoin thee to
make no more delays, but to make haste to Egypt, and to travel night and
day, and not to draw out the time, and so make the slavery of the
Hebrews and their sufferings to last the longer."
4. Moses having now seen and heard these wonders that assured him of the
truth of these promises of God, had no room left him to disbelieve them:
he entreated him to grant him that power when he should be in Egypt; and
besought him to vouchsafe him the knowledge of his own name; and since
he had heard and seen him, that he would also tell him his name, that
when he offered sacrifice he might invoke him by such his name in his
oblations. Whereupon God declared to him his holy name, which had never
been discovered to men before; concerning which it is not lawful for me
to say any more 24 Now these signs accompanied Moses, not then only, but
always when he prayed for them: of all which signs he attributed the
firmest assent to the fire in the bush; and believing that God would be
a gracious supporter to him, he hoped he should be able to deliver his
own nation, and bring calamities on the Egyptians.