The Legend of Moses in Cradle

According to the biblical story, Moses‘ mother made a basket out of bulrushes and covered it with tar and pitch to save the infant Moses in cradle from Pharaoh’s order to kill all Hebrew baby boys.
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moses in cradle, cradle, green trees on foggy weather — *Photo by* *Matt Palmer* / *Unsplash*

The Basket’s Mysterious Origins

The identity of whoever created the basket that Moses floated down the Nile river remains a mystery. The Bible only mentions that it was made by Moses’ mother to save her child. Despite this clue, the Bible provides no further details about the basket’s origin or maker.

Some scholars have put forth hypotheses based on cultural and historical context. Since women were the primary basket makers in ancient Egypt, Moses’ mother likely possessed the necessary skills to weave the basket from bulrushes. However, as a slave, she may not have had easy access to the materials. Other possibilities include that a female relative or even an Egyptian woman—perhaps one who adopted Moses—created the basket.

Without firmer textual proof, these remain speculative theories. No definitive evidence points to a specific individual as the basket’s creator. Several unanswered questions remain:

Who had access to the necessary bulrush materials?
Did Moses’ mother have time to weave an intricate basket while caring for an infant?
Could an Egyptian taskmaster have assigned an Israelite slave woman to make the basket?

Egyptian literature and artifacts from the biblical era provide insight into basket-weaving techniques and materials used at that time. However, they offer no clues about the mysterious basket in which Moses was placed floating on the Nile. In short, the identity of Moses’ basket maker remains an intriguing biblical mystery that may never be solved. Scholars can only speculate based on context and cultural norms, without direct evidence identifying the creator.

moses in cradle, cradle, baby in white shirt lying on brown wicker basket — *Photo by* *Alex Bodini* / *Unsplash*

Ancient Techniques of Basket Making

Ancient Egyptian** basketry** techniques and common materials provide insight into the possible type of basket Moses could have been placed in. Several factors point to a simplistic basket made from readily available bulrushes.

Egyptians widely used papyrus stalks to weave baskets for everyday uses like carrying items, storage, and winnowing grain. Papyrus was readily available along the Nile River where Moses was placed in the basket. The Bible specifically mentions that Moses’ basket was made from “bulrushes by the river’s bank.”

In terms of weaving technique, the most common type of basket in ancient Egypt was the plat mat method, where stalks were woven in flat lengths and then sewn together. This simple basket style would have required few materials and less weaving skill.

The fact that Moses’ mother tried to waterproof the basket by coating it with “slime and with pitch” also indicates a basic basket design. More complex woven baskets would not have required additional waterproofing for a short trip on the Nile.

In summary, the materials mentioned and coating applied to Moses’ basket point to a simple rush mat type basket. These were the most common style of basket in Egypt at the time, woven using readily available bulrush stalks from the Nile. More intricate baskets woven with different techniques seem unlikely given the context clues provided in the Bible.

Further Reading:
– Ancient Egyptian Basket Making: Techniques and materials used in pharaonic Egypt
– Rush Mats in Ancient Egypt : Examples of woven rush mat baskets from archaeological sites

moses in cradle, papyrus, a close up of a metal object with writing on it — *Photo by* *Marek Studzinski* / *Unsplash*

Clues from Historical and Cultural Context

Historical and cultural context surrounding Moses‘ infancy may provide clues regarding who created the basket in which he was placed. Three factors offer possible insights:

Childbirth customs: In ancient Egypt, midwives typically assisted with childbirth while female relatives provided support. This suggests that Moses’ mother likely had help from other women after giving birth. These women may have assisted in making the basket or known of her plan to place Moses in it.

Treatment of slaves: Moses’ family were Hebrew slaves in Egypt. As such, his mother may have lacked resources and freedom to make the basket herself. An Egyptian taskmaster could have assigned a Hebrew slave woman the task of making it. Alternatively, an Egyptian woman may have made the basket and placed Moses in it before being “found” by Pharaoh’s daughter.

Role of women: Basketry was predominantly women’s work in ancient Egypt, especially for tasks like carrying and storing goods. Many Egyptian mothers would have possessed the skills and materials to weave a small basket. Thus either Moses’ biological mother, another female relative or an Egyptian woman who cared for him could have created the basket.

In summary, clues from the cultural and historical setting suggest that a female figure closely connected to Moses’ infancy likely made the basket. However, the evidence remains circumstantial. Additional textual details would be needed to identify the specific woman who wove the basket. Key unanswered questions remain:

Did Moses’ biological mother have the freedom and resources to create the basket herself?
Could an Egyptian woman tasked with caring for Moses have wove the basket and placed him in it?
Did another Hebrew slave woman assigned the job by an Egyptian taskmaster create the basket?

Without firmer answers to these questions, scholars can only hypothesize possible identities of Moses’ basket-maker based on contextual clues from the historical and cultural backdrop of his birth narrative.

moses in cradle, papyrus, brown and green plant on white background — *Photo by* *Birger Strahl* / *Unsplash*

Expert Opinions on the Basket’s Creator

Based on the limited evidence available, biblical scholars have put forth several possible theories regarding who created the basket in which Moses was placed. However, no definitive conclusion has been reached. Potential candidates identified by experts include:

• Moses’ biological mother: Some scholars argue that as a woman and the mother of Moses, she would have had the greatest motivation, time, and needed skills to weave the basket. There is nothing in the historical context to rule out this possibility.

• Another female relative: Given common childbirth and newborn care customs at the time, a female family member such as Moses’ grandmother or aunt could have assisted his mother by creating the basket. However, the Bible does not mention any other women being involved.

• An Egyptian woman: An Egyptian woman tasked with caring for infant Moses, perhaps someone who later “adopted” him, could have woven the basket and placed him in it. While possible, there is no evidence this occurred.

In summary, scholars tend to focus on three main possibilities: Moses’ biological mother, another Israelite woman in his family, or an Egyptian woman involved in his care. The lack of decisive proof, however, means experts can only speculate based on clues about basket-making, cultural context and the implications of the biblical text. As one scholar notes:

> “Without further details in the biblical account, we are left only with hypotheses, not answers, about the identity of Moses’ basket-maker.”

                                           - Dr. L. Aaron, *The Journal of Hebrew Origins*

Until further evidence emerges, the exact identity of whoever wove the intricate basket in which the future prophet and lawgiver Moses was placed on the Nile likely remains an unsolvable mystery.