What Were the Secret Arts the Magicians Used in Egype

The truth about the powerful man who was Moses remains elusive, every bit his life has always been shrouded in mystery. The isolated details of the biblical story and the contradictory accounts of his behavior have mystified and frustrated scholars and devotees alike. For the last years of his life he chose to hide behind a mask. At times he is depicted as a meek, stuttering effigy; pleading with God that he's unfit for a sacred mission. At other times his tyrannical commands terrorized the children of Israel. What is the explanation for these extreme shifts in the prophet's character? Was Moses a manic-depressive or was he brutalized by harsh experience? The bear witness suggests something much more sinister. Was Moses murdered and replaced by an impostor?

This intriguing puzzle falls into place when we understand the disquisitional function played by a 3rd party who had everything to gain by manipulating a gullible audition to serve his own unscrupulous ends. His name was Reuel, otherwise known as Jethro, and he was an Egyptian-trained magician who spent a lifetime pursuing vengeance.

The idea that Moses had been murdered and replaced past an impostor was a forty-yr obsession of Sigmund Freud's and was cardinal to his final book, MOSES AND MONOTHEISM. Only Freud saw the decease of Moses every bit more than of a lynching than a cold-blooded and calculated murder. He failed to appreciate the magnitude of the skills that Reuel (Moses' father-in-constabulary) had caused in Egypt. Nor did Freud realize that Reuel had a motive as onetime equally humankind for killing Moses.

Moses takes his go out of Jethro (Reuel) by Jan Victors, c. 1635. Reuel is seated on the left, in crimson. Image source: Wikipedia

Far from existence a minor biblical character, the Sorcerer Reuel embedded himself securely into the lives of the major political 'players' of his fourth dimension in the pursuit of his own brutal agenda. He had the motive, means and opportunity to murder and successfully impersonate Moses. So who was this charismatic character whose influence moulded the evolution of both Judaism and Christianity?

Reuel's begetter, Esau, as first born son of the founder and leader of the Jews, Isaac, was destined to go the leader upon his male parent'south death. It followed that Reuel would assume that powerful position in his turn. Merely Esau was tricked out of his natural inheritance by a cynical act of impersonation cooked up by Isaac's wife, Rebekah, who favoured her other son, Jacob. By misleading her blind and dying husband she succeeded in transferring the legacy that was Reuel's male parent's natural right to Jacob. Reuel lost his adventure of succession through a Machiavellian human activity of impersonation. And it was by murdering and impersonating Moses that Reuel ultimately obtained his long-awaited revenge.

Cheated of the leadership of the Jews Esau eventually made a name for himself as a warrior; conquering the ancient land of Seir and renaming it Edom where Reuel was born to Esau'southward wife, Bashemath. She was considered quite a catch existence a daughter of Ishmael, the founder of the Arabs.

Every bit the first person to be both Arab and Jew, Reuel believed he possessed the almost holy of all bloodlines. Maintaining and augmenting this 'noble' lineage provided the fuel for his ambition. Information technology is the prime motive driving many of the perplexing events recorded in the story of Moses and the Exodus.

His status as a member of the royal family unit of Edom gained Reuel the privilege of travelling every bit a beau to Arab republic of egypt for his education. He excelled at his lessons; becoming a master wizard at the imperial Egyptian courtroom. Magic was a much more all-encompassing profession than it is now. Magicians exercised the skills of doctors, astronomers and many of the diverse sciences that today form the kaleidoscope of disciplines taught in universities. But he too mastered arts not normally bachelor in today's academic institutions. Hypnotism, ventriloquism and puppetry were fundamental skills used to convince the sorcerer's audition that he communicated with the gods.

Puppetry in ancient Egypt was not the kid's play it is in our times. It was a deadly serious business whose practitioners wielded their skills for ends far beyond innocent entertainment. It was used in corrupt politics as early at the 14 ^th century B.C. In a sham exercise candidates for loftier office were compelled to parade earlier a priest holding a pole with an idol attached to the top. The pole had a hollow center that contained a subconscious string. The puppeteer pulled the string when the preordained candidate passed before him. To an unsophisticated audience it appeared that the nodding head of the idol was indicating the best candidate for role. At other times, magicians would wearable masks that they claimed channeled the deities depicted in the mask'southward features. Playing god was a role Egyptian magicians felt entitled to assume.

Reuel and Hur

Reuel didn't hesitate to adopt a different persona in lodge to accomplish his life-long ambition of ruling over the children of Israel. One of his secret identities went by the proper name of Hur. But as Moses ascends the Mountain of God 'Hur' of a sudden and inexplicably appears as a powerful figure in the life of the tribe. "… and Moses went up into the mount of God. And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for united states of america, until we come up again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with yous: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them. …" Exodus 24:13-15

When Moses handed his power and authorisation to Aaron and Hur he sealed his fate. For days the children of Israel waited anxiously for their leader's return. As time passed, having themselves and so recently experienced the ordeal of starvation and thirst, they were forced to accept that without food and water Moses must be dead; lost to the ravages of the dry mountain.

And then suddenly the Israelites anxiety and panic were brought to unbearable levels when Amalek, Reuel's nephew, appeared on the horizon commanding an ground forces aptitude on destroying them. Amalek hated Reuel. Wearied and grieving the death of their prophet the Israelites had no courage left to fight Amalek'due south thundering army. Reuel seized the moment. His opportunity was ripe. To calm the tribe's fears and provide them with inspiration Reuel, bearded every bit Hur, aided and abetted by Aaron, created a life-sized, boob figure of Moses. Dragging information technology to a colina overlooking the battlefield they propped the effigy up and used it as a beacon of inspiration for the embattled people below.

Hur and Aaron holding up the arms of Moses during the battle with the Amalekites. Prototype source: Wikipedia

"And it came to laissez passer, when Moses held upward his mitt, that State of israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a rock, and put it nether him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his easily, the one on the ane side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going downward of the sun." Exodus 17:11-thirteen.

The biblical scholar Martin Noth (1902-1968) refers to the role played by Hur and Aaron equally "…a very foreign helping part… " Not so strange when nosotros consider the important political part played by puppets in ancient Arab republic of egypt; the place where Reuel learned his merchandise. The sudden appearance of Moses on the hill overlooking the battlefield encouraged the children of Israel to fight valiantly confronting the army of Amalek. They believed their prophet to be long dead just then, in their hour of need, he reappears from above to guide them to victory. The Prophet was live! God was on their side.

Reuel'due south vivid puppet testify during the battle against Amalek was just a prelude to the sorcerer's well-nigh spectacular performance – that of the Masked Moses whose terrible rages would come to boss and terrorize the Israelites.

This article is excerpted from Rand & Rose Flem-Ath's new book, KILLING MOSES .

Featured image: Rembrandt - Moses with the 10 Commandments. Image source: Wikipedia

By Rand Flem-Ath

petersonfeercer40.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.ancient-origins.net/opinion-guest-authors/moses-and-magician-reuel-002210

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