Moses name in Hieroglyphics and Hieroglyphics
Moses rescued by pharaoh's daughter
      Ever dream of becoming famous someday? Having discovered an artifact of great Biblical significance would probably get you there. For example, if you were to find the name Moses listed in Egyptian records and were able to positively identify him as the Biblical figure, your discovery would be on every news station across the world.
      So where would you start with this quest to find Moses? Well, with his name of course.
You would need to find a name in Egyptian hieroglyphics that is phonetically equivalent to the name 'Moshe' as found in the Hebrew Scriptures, which we translate into English as Moses. And then find his name associated with the Pharaoh's who lived during Moses life span. (Click here for likely timelines of Moses life.)
      As I have discussed in volume 1 of my series Bible Believer's Archaeology, Moses was born in the reign of the pharaoh who began the persecution of the Hebrews in the Nile delta.
      The likely candidates for the pharaoh at that time were Senakhtenre Ahmoses, Seqenenre Tao, Kamoses, and Ahmoses. He likely fled from pharaoh Amenhotep I at the age of 40, and would have returned 40 years later to confront the Exodus pharaoh, who was probably either Thutmoses I or Thutmoses II.
      So lets start with his name. There are many Egyptian names that that are phonetically equiva­lent to the Hebrew 'Moshe'.
      One commonly held view is that in the Greek New Testament, Moses is listed as Moseus (Mo-sace). Many believe this is the hieroglyphic symbols shown below.
1) mes-s, mos-s, mes-z, mos-z = chief prince
Mes-s = chief prince pg.323
      You find these symbols in many names of Egyptian pharaohs and royal princes. For example:
Kamoses  Chief prince of the god Ka.
Ahmoses = Chief prince of the god Ah.
Thutmoses = Chief prince of the god Thut.
Rameses = Chief prince of the god Ra.
KaMoses Cartouche
Ahmose Cartouche
AhMoses
KaMoses
      As you can see, each of these pharaohs identified themselves as being the royal offspring of a certain Egyptian god or spirit. Whereas the hieroglyphic Moses (Mes-s) by itself may mean that this prince was not identified with belonging to any of the gods of Egypt, and was the offspring of an unknown God to the Egyptians.
 
2) Mes-s, Mes-z or Mesu = a mans name pg.324
      I remember receiving an email to my ministry years ago that stated the following:
      "In your article, you claim that Moses is Egyptian for drawing out of water. This is not true. In Hebrew, masheh means to draw out of water. It is not likely that an Egyptian princess would know, or care to know the language of slaves (Hebrew)."
      First of all, I didn't state that Moses is Egyptian for "drawing out of the water." The Bible does. Exodus 2:10 states: "And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name 'Moshe,' saying, "Because I drew him out of the water."
      Now what Moses original Hebrew name, given by his Hebrew birth mother may have been, is not mentioned in Scripture. We just have what Pharaoh's daughter named him. Therefore the name 'Moshe' is not Hebrew, but Egyptian. And there are indeed many possible Egyptian words found in hieroglyphics that when combined are phonetically close to 'Moshe', and have meanings that are similar in action as to how Moses was saved from the water in the Biblical account.
      These words, along with their hieroglyphics, I found in the work, Ancient Hieroglyphic Dictionary by Sir E.A. Wallis Budge. He was the keeper of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities at the British Museum in the early part of the 1900's.  
      Below are some possible Egyptian words or combination of words along with page numbers referencing his dictionary in no particular order.
1) mess or mesi = to make to be born, to bear, to give birth, to fashion (create life), to bear, to produce pg.321
2) mes en = born of, brought forth by, (can also denote son of the water or born of the water because of water symbol 'en') pg.321
3) "ma'-shi" = "water or water god + infant child"
 
"ma' (mi,mu,mw)" = collection of water, sea, lake - (pg.280) or "mu" = water, any large mass of water, lake, canal, etc (pg.293) or Mu = water god (pg.293) + "shi" = infant child (pg.731)
4) "mes-sha, mes-shi, mes-shu= born of, chief prince, son + the lake or water
mes = baby, child, or chief prince (pg.321, pg322) or chief prince + sha= lake, pool of water, pg 720, pg731, pg 733
5) "mes-shau = born of, chief prince, son + desert nomads (note: Shasu = nomads of the Semites (hebrews) pg.728
mes = baby, child, or chief prince (pg.321-322) or chief prince + shau= desert nomads pg.730
6) "mes-sha= born of, chief prince, son + reeds
mes = baby, child, or chief prince (pg.321, pg322) or chief prince + sha = reeds pg.722
7) "mes-sha, mes-shai = born of, chief prince, son + a hollowed out boat  
mes = baby, child, or chief prince (pg.321, pg322) or chief prince + sha, shai = to hollow out a boat. Pg730
8) "mes-shi" = "to bring, transfer + infant child
mes = "to bring, transfer pg.324 + "shi" = infant child (pg.731)
9) "mes-shas = born of, chief prince, son + sailed or steered boat  
mes = baby, child, or chief prince (pg.321, pg322) or chief prince + shaa = to steer or sail a boat. Pg732
10) "mes-shu = born of, chief prince, son + unloaded from a boat  
mes = baby, child, son, or chief prince (pg.321, pg322) + shu = to unload a boat. Pg722
11) "mes'-sah" = "born of, chief prince, son + succeeded to reach land from a boat"
mes = baby, child, son, or chief prince (pg.321, pg322) + "sah" = to draw near to, to succeed in acquiring to reach land, to land from a boat, shipwreck (pg.638)
12) "mes -sa (saw)" = born of, chief prince, son + protection or an object that gives protection. (The hieroglyphic symbol used for protection was the water life preserver symbol.)
mes = baby, child, son, or chief prince (pg.321, pg322)  + "sa (saw)" = protection (or a water life preserver) (pg.585)
(Note: The Egyptians invented the buoyant life preserver. They were made out of papyrus and were worn by Egyptian crewmen aboard their boats. They took the green stems papyrus plants and bent them into a loop and tied them behind, leaving an opening for the head and shoulders. This made for a good buoyant device which protected the wearer in case he went overboard. The hieroglyphic symbol represented being saved from the waters, which would have been a very appropriate symbol to use in connection with how Moses was saved by floating on the water.)
13) "mesh-shi" = "to advance or to flow like a water flood + infant child"
"mesh" = to advance, to flow like a water flood (pg.329) + "shi" = infant child (pg.731)
14) mes-sw = baby, child, or chief prince + free from (saved) {ie. reference of being freed from, drawn, or saved from the water}
mes = baby, child, or chief prince (pg.321, pg322) + be free from
15) "ma'-SaA" = "water + advance (similar to drawn from the water)"
"ma' (mi,mu.mw)" = collection of water, sea, lake - (pg.280) or "mu" = water, any large mass of water, lake, canal, etc (pg.293) or mu = water god pg.293) + "SaA" = advance (verb)
16) "ma'-sa (saw)" = water + protection or an object that gives protection. (The hieroglyphic symbol used for protection was the water life preserver symbol.)
"ma' (mi,mu,mw)" = collection of water, sea, lake - (pg.280) or "mu" = water, any large mass of water, lake, canal, etc. (pg.293) + "sa (saw)" = protection (or a water life preserver) (pg.585)
17) "ma'-sah" = water + to be free born, to possess high rank and nobility
"ma' (mi,mu,mw)" = collection of water, sea, lake - (pg.280) or "mu" = water, any large mass of water, lake, canal, etc. (pg.293) + "sah" = to be free born, to possess high rank and nobility (pg.591)
18) "msah" or meseh = "crocodile pg.324, pg.325
19) mes-Shui = baby, child, son, or chief prince + the Crocodile god (Shui)
mes = baby, child, son, or chief prince (pg.321, pg322) + Shui = crocodile god pg.734
20) mes-Shu = baby, child, son, or chief prince + the air god Shu (god who creates all life)
mes = baby, child, son, or chief prince (pg.321, pg322) + Shu= the air god pg.7314
      As you can see, there are many combinations of Egyptians words that are close in pronunciation and when combined have references to the Biblical story of how Moses was saved from the waters.
      I listed what I consider to be the top 20, but there are other possibilities. I have included a non-comprehensive list of Egyptian words that begin with 'm' and 's' at the end of this article, in the resource section, that can be combined to give you similar pronunciations and meanings.
      Now, since we looked at some possibilities for his name, we can ask the question; Has anything been found in archaeology that might point to Moses?
      One clue may come from a statement made by the historian Eusebius who stated that the Pharaohs daughter who took Moses from the water and adopted him as her son was named Meris. Now there is a well-known daughter of a pharaoh who lived during the timeframe in which Moses is believed to have been born, circa 1560 B.C. Her name was Tumerisy or Tumeriz and sometimes listed as Ahmose-Tumerisy. Eusebius seemed to have shortened her name to Meris. She was likely the daughter of pharaoh Senquenre Tao and the sister of pharaohs Kamoses and Ahmose I.
Ahmose Tumerisy
      There is an interesting inscription regarding her that actually may have mentioned Moses at one time.
      She is listed on the artifact shown below, along with an unknown prince of, or from, lower Egypt due to the Lower Egypt symbol shown on his lower cloak. This may in fact identify this prince as being born in lower Egypt, which was the Nile Delta region in the North. Or it may just refer to the fact that whoever this was, He was a prince or the son of a king ruling over lower Egypt.
Tumerisy
Unknown Prince (far left) Tumerisy (far right)
      What is curious is that out of all the kings, queens, princes, and princess, on the artifact, his name alone and his title, which was inscribed in columns above his head, are missing. Could it have been defaced and removed intentionally?  
       It makes for some interesting speculation as to whether or not this could possibly be a reference to Moses.
      Since the Bible says that Moses received his name from pharaoh's daughter because he was drawn from the water, most likely the Nile, this has led some to speculate that his mother may have identified him with the Egyptian god of the waters of Nile, who was known as Hapi. Therefore some speculate that he may have also been known by the Egyptians as HapiMoses, (Hapi-Mes-s or Hapi-Mes-z,) which would have meant "Chief Prince of Hapi."  While the Hebrews themselves would have called him by the shortened form Moses, or Moshe which in Hebrew also means drawn from the water.
Hapi
      An interesting thing about the possibility of him being called HapiMoses in Egyptian was that it is believed that Pharaoh Senakhtenre, who is a candi­date for being the father of the princess who drew Moses from the water, did have a daughter by the name of Ahmose-In-Hapi. It is believed she was a secondary wife of either Seqenenre Tao II or of Ahmoses I.
Ahmose Inhapi
      In an artifact, shown below, Ahmose Inhapi, whose name is still partially readable, is shown sitting behind her daughter Ahmose Henuttamehu.
      Whats interesting is that standing below, or beside the leg of Ahmose Inhapi, is a small figure of an unidentified boy. Possibly her son. Which begs the question? "Could this be Moses?"
Ahmose Inhapi (Left)
Small child near her leg
      Under the same line of reasoning, some have speculated that Moses could have been known as Wadjwer-Moses, or the shortened form, WadjMoses.
      Wadj-wer is an Egyptian god of fertility whose name means the "Great Green. He was the personification of the Mediterranean Sea, and of the major lakes and lagoons of the Nile delta.
      Wadj-wer is associated with the richness of the shallow waters and flood plains of the Nile delta where nothing can grow without the water which originates from this region.
      Another interesting tidbit is that Wadj-khepre-re was a regnal name of pharaoh Kamose who likely started the persecution of the Hebrews, as found in Exodus 1:22.
      Wadj meant green and was associated with the color of the water and was represented by the symbol of a papyrus stem.
      The papyrus plant is from the Nile Delta, and is a symbol of Lower Egypt and its green and productive quality of food growing.
      Now, there was a son of Thutmoses I whose name was WadjMoses, although he died before he was able to take the throne, possibly in the plague of the firstborn. Since he was born later in the Biblical time-line to be Moses, there is probably no connection between the two. Yet it does show that it would not be unprecedented for a prince of Egypt to bear the name WadjMoses.
WadjMoses
WadjMoses
WadjMoses (Right)
      Another possibility for Moses name is that In the ancient Egyptian language, the Nile is called iteru, meaning "great river," represented by the hieroglyp­hs shown below, literally itrw. So he may have been known as Iteru-Moses, meaning born of the Nile. (Itrw-mes-s)
Iteru (river)
      But the most likely scenario under this line of reasoning was that Moses was named just plain "Mes-s" You see, according to the Bible, pharaohs daughter knew that she was picking up a Hebrew child from the water. And since the Hebrews worshiped a God with no name, naming him just plain "Mes-s" or "Mes-z" and would have been symbolized like this:
Mes-z
Mes-s
      So that sums up most of the views as to what Moses name would have looked like in Egyptian hieroglyphics.
      So, now in order for you to become world famous, all you have to do is find an inscription from the reigns of Kamoses, Ahmoses I, or Amenhotep I, and you could be well on our way.
      But finding his name really is not all that important of a task. You see Moses was just a man whom God used as a tool in order that his name would be revered throughout all the earth.
So, whats the most important name you really need to find?
      The Bible tells you the answer in Acts 4:8-12: "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them; "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:
"If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
      "This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'
      "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Sources:
 
Artwork: Pharaohs Daughter finding Moses Illustrated in Battle Against Isolation (1944) Author: Walter Johnson, Publisher: University of Chicago Press.
 
'An Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary' by Sir E.A. Wallis Budge (Keeper of the Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities in the British Museum) published by John Murray, Albemarle Street, London. 1920.
 
Volume 1: https://archive.org/details/egyptianhierogly01budguoft
Volume 2: https://archive.org/details/egyptianhierogly02budguoft
 
Scene showing Ahmose-Tumerisy and unknown prince. Artwork from Lepsius-Denkmahler, author K.R. Lepsisu, 1849
 
Scene showing Ahmose Inhapi and small boy. Artwork from Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien by Karl Richard Lepsius 1849
 
Scene showing Amenmose and Wadjmose, from the tomb of Paheri in el-Kab. Artwork from Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien by Karl Richard Lepsius 1849
 
List of Egyptian words that begin with m and s that can be combined to give you similar pronunciations and meanings surrounding the story of Moses being taken from the water by Pharaohs daughter.
 
ma (mi,mu,mw)" = collection of water, sea, lake - pg.280
mah = part of a boat pg.275
mas = to be shut in pg.275
meh = to seize, to have a hold of as a possession pg. pg 317
mehi = to be submerged pg 317
meh = the submerged land pg 317
mehuiu = the flood that destroyed all mankind pg317  
mehs or mehz = the crown of the north pg320
mes = baby pg322
mes = child, son pg.321
mes = to drag, to lead, to bring, to transfer pg324
mes = to walk pg.324
Mes = chief prince pg323
mesh = to advance, to flow like a water flood pg.329
Mesi = to make to be born, to bear, to give birth, to fashion, pg.321
mesi = midwife pg.321
mess = to bear, to produce pg. 321
messu  children pg.322
msah = crocodile pg 324
meseh = crocodile pg 325
meshu = Four crocodiles of the Cardinal points pg. 325
msha = warship pg330
mes-en - born of, brought forth by pg 321, pg 324
Mesu = A mans names (Moses?) pg,324
Mesu = the gods who begat their own children. Pg.322
Mes- betesh-t = children of revolt pg 322
mesu nt mu = offspring of the water god (ie plants) pg.322
mu = water, any large mass of water, lake, canal, etc pg.293
Mu = water god pg.293
 
 
sa (saw) = protection, or a water life preserver pg.585
SaA = to advance
sah = to be free born, to possess high rank and nobility pg.591
sah = shipwreck, to draw near to, to succeed in acquiring, to reach land, to land from a boat, to acquire, to possess. pg638
Sah = the boat of Osiris pg. 638
seh = to draw in a net, to pull the cord of a net, to unyoke pg 613
sehu = to collet, to gather together pg 613 & 683
ses = shipwreck pg 618
ses = to breath pg.618
Si = crocodile god pg 591
sih = to come, to arive, port, landing stage. Pg 647
sha = lake, pool pg 720
sha, shai = to hollow out a boat. Pg730
Shau= sand dwellers in the desert. Pg.730
sha = reeds pg722
sha = sand dweller pg 730
shaa= source of life, to begin pg. 723
shaa= conquer pg. 723
shaa = to steer or sail a boat. Pg 732
shaaa-mes= first born pg. 723
shaas = to travel, to journey pg. 723
shaas = shipwreck pg. 723
shai = to make to descend pg 612
Shai = God of luck, destiny, who ordains the days of men. pg.724
Shasu= country or nomads of the Semites (hebrews) pg.728
Shau = God of good luck or fortune. pg724
shau = abode, dwelling pg. 725
shau = something of great value pg. 724
shep = basket , pg.736
shes = to advance against pg. 614
shi = basin, lake pg. 731
shi = infant child pg. 731
Shu = the air god creator of life pg.731
Shu = a desert tribe pg. 732 (Shasu?)
shu = roll of papyrus pg 733
shu = to unload a ship pg 733
shu = well, lake pg. 733
Shui = crocodile god pg 734
sw = to be free from, saved
 
Copyright © 2021 BibleHistory.net
All Rights Reserved

No permission is granted to download and save these images

The Authority on Biblical History and Bible Archaeology