Page:Judaism and Islam, a prize essay - Geiger - 1898.pdf/143

 MIRACLES OP MOSES. 125

thy life " l which is as follows : " Were they dead ? They were Dathan and Abiram, who were involved in the dispute of Korah. This only means that they had become power- less."* Further, Moses is supposed to have shewn the sign of his leprous hand before Pharaoh, 2 which is not men- tioned in Scripture, 3 but which agrees with the following statement in the Eabbinical writings : 4 "He put his hand into his bosom, and drew it out as white as snow from leprosy ; they also put their hands into their bosoms and drew them out as white as snow from leprosy." The magicians who were summoned asked at first, in distinction from God's messengers, for their reward ; 5 but when they had seen their serpents swallowed by that of Moses, they believed, praised God and were not intimidated by Pharaoh's threats. This is quite contrary to the Bible, in which such a confession is found only after the plague of lice, 6 and there too only in the form of a mere hint. Among Moses' own people only his own tribe is said to have believed on him, 7 and the Eabbis say 8 that " the tribe of

1 Midr. Rabb, on Exodus, par. 5.

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2 Suras VII. 108, XXVI. 32. 3 Exodus, vii. 8 ff.

4 Pirke Rabbi Eliezer, Section 48.

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5 Suras VII. 110, XXVI. 40. 6 Exodus, viii. 15.

7 Sura X. 83. The suffix refers to Moses, as some Arabic com- mentators cited by BaidhAwi (Henzii Fragm. Arab, page 103) and by Elpherar take it.

8 Midr. Rabb. on Exodus, para. 5.

According to Midr. Rabb. on Exodus, para 1, Dathan and Abiram were the two disputants, one of whom reproached Moses with the murder of the Egyptian,