My name is Moses – Part 2

I knew who my Hebrew mother and family were and visited them often, but I wasn’t allowed to tend any of the livestock for that was an abomination to the Egyptians.  Tending livestock was the first profession of the Hebrew, and they even tended the Pharaohs animals. 

Of course, my privileged status didn’t make me popular with the Hebrews, especially with those my own age.  So, I kept mostly to the court and played with others who were growing up as I was. We played Leapfrog and Hopscotch, we wrestled, and the girls danced the wine press dance in a circle. Grandfather had a great, beautiful Senet game which we played as a family quite often.  

I started school at the age of 7.  The days were full of learning, an activity I enjoyed more than all others. At the age of 12 I was assigned to study under and assist my History instructor, Mentuhotep.  He was a fine old gentleman who loved his subject with uncommon passion.  He said that if we dwell on the past, we ignore the future.  But if we learn from the past, we can improve the future by learning from other people’s mistakes.  He was also satisfied with the extensive duration of Egyptian historical records. He found an avid student in me, and we spent many a long evening discussing the events found in the records and culture of the ancients.  

It was a wonderful time.  I studied and taught until the age of 18. We had very ancient scrolls which Father Noah had brought with him from the former age and after the great flood. Those are kept in a vault where the moisture is kept out. Mentuhotep was proud and jealous of these. Father Noah lived till after Father Abraham was born, continuing to keep records all the rest of his life. Noah’s son, Ham, married a woman named Aegyptus, and founded our great civilization. 

The Sages still remarked fondly of the years, as recently as 550 years past, when Father Noah would attend and consult with our first councils, advising them in wisdom and historical events. The many changes and events he watched after the family disembarked, which occurred during that time period, were amazing.  The earth was physically divided, its whole surface underwent a reconfiguration. Also, a great tower was built but went unfinished, evidently due to sheer confusion.  One morning people woke up and spoke a different language than their neighbor.  And one of my favorite stories is of Great Uncle Jobab, but his line died out. In the later translations his name has been shortened to Job.

But as all good things seem to come to an end, I reached my 20th year, and I finally either had to take an Egyptian wife or wait 10 more years to take an Israeli wife.  I decided, not knowing the future, to take an Egyptian wife.

To be continued - Part 3.