← All parallels
ParallelsA comparative study
ChristianityJudaismIslam
On Moses and the Exodus
A Hebrew infant is hidden, raised in Pharaoh's household, flees to the desert, encounters God at a burning bush, and returns to lead his people out of Egypt through parted waters. The foundational liberation narrative of Judaism; honoured in Christianity and Islam.
What every account tells.
- iPharaoh's decree to kill Hebrew boys
- iiInfant placed in a basket on the river
- iiiRaised by Pharaoh's daughter/household
- ivProphet confronts Pharaoh
- vSea/river parts; Pharaoh's army is destroyed
How each tradition tells it.
Judaism
Central festival: Passover. Ten plagues enumerated; the tablets of the Law are given at Sinai.
Christianity
Read typologically as liberation from sin; Passover becomes the backdrop of the Last Supper.
Islam
Musa is the most-mentioned prophet in the Qur'an (by name). His confrontation with Pharaoh is spread across many surahs; his staff turning to a serpent, and the drowning, are recounted in detail.