heroes and Hebrews: the priest in the promised land

Methods and results of the structural study of myth and Old Testament source and textual criticism are applied in this analysis of the myth of Moses. The context of the myth is first traced out through the historical circumstances conditioning the myth's textual development, and the major contradiction underlying the myth is identified. The myth is then shown to have served as a model through which the Israelites could resolve their conflicting political and religious aspirations through the details of Moses' life as presented in the myth.