Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad

Introduction

Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad laid the foundation for three similar and yet very different religions. Moses formed Judaism; Jesus was the founder of Christianity while Mohammed was the founder of Islam.

The religions founded by Muhammad, Moses, and Jesus are known as the "Abrahamic religions" because they traced their history to the covenant God made with Abraham in the Hebrew Bible. The religion founded by mosses is the monotheistic religion of the Jews, tracing its origins to Abraham and having its spiritual and ethical principles embodied chiefly in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Talmud(Epstein 56-59). Christianity was founded on the life and teachings of Jesus. Islam is a monotheistic religion characterized by the acceptance of the doctrine of submission to God and to Muhammad as the chief and last prophet of God.

Moses

Moses was a leader of the ancient Hebrews who brought them out of Egypt in Exodus, around 1250 BC. He made the covenant between them and Yahweh at Sinai. He also guided them through the desert to the borders of Canaan. The Bible says he lived a life span of 120 years, but this figure is questioned(Dodge 21-39).

The books of Exodus through Deuteronomy in the Bible are the only sources for details about Moses' life. No Egyptian documents found so far mention him, and the later records about him recorded in the work of Philo of Alexandria and in Josephus appear to be elaborations of the biblical story. The story of the baby Moses in the reed basket on the Nile is a typical legend about a famous man's childhood. The same basic story is also told about Sargon, king of Akkad.

According to the Bible, Moses grew up at the pharaoh's court but was forced to flee to Midian after he killed an Egyptian whom he had seen strike an Israelite. They think that Moses was at the pharaoh's court because he was receiving Egyptian training after being taken captive from a Semitic vassal. He was then sent back to lead his people with an Egyptian point of view. This may also explain why Moses was adopted by the pharaoh's daughter.

Israel remained in the desert under Moses' leadership for a number of years. The journey was hard and the people grew tired and hungry. God provided for them when they had nothing left to eat. He covered the land with food called manna and the people ate. Moses worked to unite the people by setting up courts and judges. Moses then went up into the mountains and returned with Gods Ten Commandments. The Old Testament tells of many conflicts between Moses and the people during this time. The people began to loose their faith and worship other gods(Esposito, Fasching, Lewis 39-43).

Moses was an important person in history because he helped the Isrealites escape Egypt and slavery. He also went up Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments and other laws from God. This code of laws is called the Law of Moses. He also was a chosen ...