Josephus on Moses’ Prayer at the Sea

After Moses had spoken thus, he started leading them to the sea while the Egyptians looked on, for they were within sight. Now, having become so worn out by the distress of the pursuit, they thought it proper to postpone the battle until the following day. But when Moses came to the shore, he took up his staff and approached God in supplication, and he called on Him to be their ally and helper, speaking as follows: “You Yourself are by no means unaware that it is beyond human strength and inventiveness for us to escape from the present circumstances. If there exists any form of deliverance for your host, which left Egypt according to your will, it is yours to provide. As for us, having despaired of any other hope or plan, we seek refuge in our hope in you alone. If anything should come by way of your providence that is capable of rescuing us from the wrath of the Egyptians, let us look to you. Let this come quickly, manifest your power to us, and raise up this people, who have sunk so deeply into hopelessness, to a state of courage and the hope of deliverance. We are not in impassable straits among foreigners—no, the sea is yours, and the mountains that surround us are yours, such that these mountains will open themselves up if you command it so, and the sea also might become dry land. We might escape through the air, if your power should determine that we be delivered in that manner.”

After Moses called God as his witness, he struck the sea with his staff, and on that strike, it receded back. Receiving those waters into itself, it left the ground dry, as a path and means of escape for the Hebrews. On seeing this manifestation of God and that the sea had gone away from its own place and left dry land, Moses was first to step into it, and he urged the Hebrews to follow him along that divine path and rejoice at the danger their pursuing enemies were in, and he gave thanks to God for such an unexpected deliverance that he had brought to light.