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jmm08
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It is readily apparent that Miriam, the older sister of Moses and Aaron, was a type of Mary.
See evangelical-catholicism.com/2006/10/mary-in-bible-part-8.htmlSo who was Miriam? Miriam was the older sister of Moses and Aaron. When the baby Moses was placed by his mother in the Nile river so that the Egyptians could not kill him, Miriam kept watch over Moses in order to protect him (Ex 2:1-4). When Pharaoh’s daughter finds the baby Moses, Miriam, who is called a “maiden” (cf. Is 7:14), arranged for Moses’ own mother to nurse him. Miriam assumed the role of protector of Israel’s leader and redeemer until he was a man, just as Luke portrays Mary as the one concerned over the well-being of the young Jesus (Lk 1:33-34, 48-52). Is it not striking that Joseph, who is portrayed as the protector of Mary and Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 1:18-25, 2:13-15, 2:19-23), is never once portrayed by Luke as the caregiver and protector of Jesus? Likewise, we do not find Moses’ father protecting him. Rather, Miriam serves as Moses’ protector.What else can we glean from the typology at work between the Miriam of the Old Testament and Mary of the New Testament? Miriam is the first woman called “prophetess” in all of Scripture (Ex 15:20) and she leads the Israelite women in the song of praise after the destruction of the Egyptian army (Ex 15:20-21). Similarly, Luke gives to Mary a prophetic role, for she is the only witness to the message of the miraculous conception of Jesus—a message given to her from heaven (I described Mary as witness previously in Part 6 of the series). Shortly after, Mary leads a song of praise in the house of Zechariah (Lk 1:46-55), which is endearingly called by Catholics “The Magnificat.”I think various Jewish thoughts regarding Miriam are very interesting and provide insight into Mary, the mother of Our Lord who is “full of grace”.
Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald wrote:Moses’s sister, Miriam, is also a special person. She is one of the seven female prophets in the Bible, and plays a key role in the story of the Exodus. It is Miriam who leads the women in song after the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:21). In deference to Miriam’s kindness when she waited for the baby Moses, the nation waits seven days for Miriam when she is stricken with the disease tzoraat for speaking against her brother Moses (Numbers 12:15). After Miriam’s death, the people thirst for water (Numbers 20:1) alluding to the miraculous Midrashic “Well of Miriam” that followed the Israelites in the wilderness in Miriam’s merit.The rabbis of the Midrash, however, attribute to Miriam many additional accomplishments that are not found in the text. Building apparently on the young girl’s heroism that saved her brother’s life, they conclude that Miriam must have accomplished much more. The Midrash’s amplification of Miriam’s role is rather extensive…The debt of gratitude that we owe Miriam is very great. After all, it weren’t for Miriam, there would be no Moses. If it weren’t for Miriam, there would be no Jewish marriages in Egypt. If it weren’t for Miriam, there would be no Hebrew nursemaid for Moses. If it weren’t for Miriam, there would be no redemption. If it weren’t for Miriam there would be no song for the women to sing at the crossing the Red Sea. If it weren’t for Miriam, there would be no water for the people to drink in the wilderness.
Dr. Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor of Jewish Theological Seminary wrote:However, many centuries later a fertile rabbinic mind posited a nexus between Miriam’s death and Moses’s wrongdoing. The sudden lack of water was a direct consequence of her demise; for, said Rabbi Yosi the son of Rabbi Yehuda, as long as Miriam lived, God graced Israel with a well that accompanied the people throughout the wilderness. When she died Israel found itself without water. The sequence of the two events implies a causal connection.jmm08
See evangelical-catholicism.com/2006/10/mary-in-bible-part-8.htmlSo who was Miriam? Miriam was the older sister of Moses and Aaron. When the baby Moses was placed by his mother in the Nile river so that the Egyptians could not kill him, Miriam kept watch over Moses in order to protect him (Ex 2:1-4). When Pharaoh’s daughter finds the baby Moses, Miriam, who is called a “maiden” (cf. Is 7:14), arranged for Moses’ own mother to nurse him. Miriam assumed the role of protector of Israel’s leader and redeemer until he was a man, just as Luke portrays Mary as the one concerned over the well-being of the young Jesus (Lk 1:33-34, 48-52). Is it not striking that Joseph, who is portrayed as the protector of Mary and Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 1:18-25, 2:13-15, 2:19-23), is never once portrayed by Luke as the caregiver and protector of Jesus? Likewise, we do not find Moses’ father protecting him. Rather, Miriam serves as Moses’ protector.What else can we glean from the typology at work between the Miriam of the Old Testament and Mary of the New Testament? Miriam is the first woman called “prophetess” in all of Scripture (Ex 15:20) and she leads the Israelite women in the song of praise after the destruction of the Egyptian army (Ex 15:20-21). Similarly, Luke gives to Mary a prophetic role, for she is the only witness to the message of the miraculous conception of Jesus—a message given to her from heaven (I described Mary as witness previously in Part 6 of the series). Shortly after, Mary leads a song of praise in the house of Zechariah (Lk 1:46-55), which is endearingly called by Catholics “The Magnificat.”I think various Jewish thoughts regarding Miriam are very interesting and provide insight into Mary, the mother of Our Lord who is “full of grace”.
Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald wrote:Moses’s sister, Miriam, is also a special person. She is one of the seven female prophets in the Bible, and plays a key role in the story of the Exodus. It is Miriam who leads the women in song after the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:21). In deference to Miriam’s kindness when she waited for the baby Moses, the nation waits seven days for Miriam when she is stricken with the disease tzoraat for speaking against her brother Moses (Numbers 12:15). After Miriam’s death, the people thirst for water (Numbers 20:1) alluding to the miraculous Midrashic “Well of Miriam” that followed the Israelites in the wilderness in Miriam’s merit.The rabbis of the Midrash, however, attribute to Miriam many additional accomplishments that are not found in the text. Building apparently on the young girl’s heroism that saved her brother’s life, they conclude that Miriam must have accomplished much more. The Midrash’s amplification of Miriam’s role is rather extensive…The debt of gratitude that we owe Miriam is very great. After all, it weren’t for Miriam, there would be no Moses. If it weren’t for Miriam, there would be no Jewish marriages in Egypt. If it weren’t for Miriam, there would be no Hebrew nursemaid for Moses. If it weren’t for Miriam, there would be no redemption. If it weren’t for Miriam there would be no song for the women to sing at the crossing the Red Sea. If it weren’t for Miriam, there would be no water for the people to drink in the wilderness.
Dr. Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor of Jewish Theological Seminary wrote:However, many centuries later a fertile rabbinic mind posited a nexus between Miriam’s death and Moses’s wrongdoing. The sudden lack of water was a direct consequence of her demise; for, said Rabbi Yosi the son of Rabbi Yehuda, as long as Miriam lived, God graced Israel with a well that accompanied the people throughout the wilderness. When she died Israel found itself without water. The sequence of the two events implies a causal connection.jmm08