The story of Moses follows a pattern that is typical of ancient Near Eastern fugitive hero narratives. However, when Moses goes to Mount Horeb, the plot deviates from the usual “divine encounter” feature. What does this tell us about the composition of the story of Moses and the Burning Bush?This essay does not use the Rank-Raglan typology of the hero, but its fugitive-hero pattern has some similarities. For the Rank-Raglan typology and Jesus, see here, and on Abraham, see here. Also, Ron Hendel published a book quite a few years ago which looks at Jacob and Moses as epic heroes: The Epic of the Patriarch: The Jacob Cycle and the Narrative Traditions of Canaan and Israel (HSM 42; Brill, 1988).
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