WAS MOSES TALL?

Today I was looking through some other ancient and Talmudic sources that talk about Moses, and I noticed that a number describes Moses as tall.

Here are some examples:

Artapanus of Alexandria (3rd or 2nd century BC): He describes Moses as 80 years old, "tall and ruddy, with long white hair, and dignified."

Josephus (c. 37 – 100 AD) "Moses excelled all by his tall stature and beauty of countenance as well as by his quickness of apprehension."

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki a.k.a Rashi (1040-1105AD) described Moses as tall in Talmud Berakhot 54b

Abu Huraira (602-681 AD) Sahih Muslim Book 1, Hadith Number 239: “He (Ibn Abbas) said that the prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the time he was ascended to the Heavens and he said that Musa (Moses) was dark-skinned and tall …”

While none of these quotes are authoritative, and these historians can sometimes be considered unreliable, it is interesting that there seems to be a tradition going back to the time when the Alexandrian library still stood that Moses was tall.

I thought it would be a harmless detail to use in the comic, but then I also noticed in Acts Stephen says "Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action." Act 7:22. “Powerful in action” could also imply he was fit, strong and had a physical advantage like being tall.

Finally, it’s always encouraging for me when I discover these things and then look at the images I’ve already drawn of the person (Moses) and see that the images are consistent with this new information. I’m encouraged that the Lord is guiding my hand in the work.

Though it’s more a factor of perspective, Moses could be tall in both of these images where he stands next to Joshua and Aaron:

Thanks for reading.

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