Moses' Prayer at the Sea for Israel's Deliverance in Early Jewish Greek Literature

In the biblical narrative, God says to Moses at the Red Sea, “Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward” (Exodus 14:15, NRSV). But Moses has not cried out to God; instead, he has told the terrified people to stand firm and witness God’s deliverance. Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities and Pseudo-Philo’s Biblical Antiquities pick up on this lacuna and supply a prayer for Moses.

Josephus, who tends to identify Jewish philosophical thinking with Stoicism, depicts Moses appealing to God’s reasonableness and arguing that only divine intervention can save the Israelites in their present circumstances. Josephus also points out that, since Israel has left Egypt in accordance with the divine will, it is up to God to bring this action to a successful conclusion. In the shorter prayer in Biblical Antiquities, Moses appeals to God’s concern for His reputation.