Was Moses Jewish?

Certain aspects of this epic tale, the Ten plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea and Moses descending from the top of Mount Sinai with tablets of stone etched with the Ten Commandments in hand, are familiar details for most. However, if you were to read through the account of the Exodus in the King James version of the Bible you may be surprised to find one term missing. The word Jew along with Jews, or Jewish, is nowhere to be found in the book of Exodus. This leaves us with one question—Was Moses Jewish?

The facts presented in this video are not anti-Semitic, nor do they denigrate the Jewish people. On the contrary, we greatly admire the Jewish people for many of their achievements and what they have contributed to society, including their role in preserving the Word of God. While the purpose of the video above is to highlight a few popular misconceptions about Moses and the commandments, it is important to note why these issues are relevant. Pointing out that Moses was not a Jew, and that the laws of God were not solely for the Jews, is not done with animosity towards any peoples. In fact, the essential truth that many overlook as a result of the misconceptions covered in this video is that laws seen by many to be “Jewish” such as the Sabbath, Biblical Holy Days and laws of clean and unclean meats were not intended for the Jews alone, but were designed as universal laws for all people. Secondly, characterizing the Exodus as “the Jewish” escape from Egypt hides the incredible truth that the other tribes of Israel, who do not identify as Jewish, are still in existence today.