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 Encyclopedia
Judaica 2nd Edition
An essential source of information on
Jewish life, culture, history, and
religion.
In 1972, the Encyclopaedia Judaica
fulfilled the longstanding dream of
capturing the full richness of Jewish
culture in a single authoritative
publication, heralded in the scholarly
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MIRIAM
By : Isidore Singer Jacob Zallel
Lauterbach
ARTICLE HEADINGS:
Biblical Data:
In Rabbinical Literature:
Her Names
Biblical Data
Prophetess; daughter of Amram and sister
of
Moses and
Aaron (I Chron. vi. 3; Ex. xv. 20;
Num. xxvi. 59). When Moses was left at the
river Miriam watched from a distance until
Pharaoh's daughter took him up, whereupon
she proposed to the princess to find a
Hebrew nurse; the princess assenting to
this, Miriam returned with her mother (Ex.
ii. 4-7). After the Israelites had crossed
the Red Sea Miriam sang a song of triumph,
in which all the women joined (Ex. xv.
20-21). Miriam and Aaron spoke against
Moses on account of the Cushite woman whom
he had married, whereupon God summoned
Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the tabernacle
of the congregation, reproved her, and
punished her with leprosy. She was healed
through the prayers of Moses, but was
obliged to remain without the camp of the
Israelites for seven days, although the
people did not proceed until she had
returned (Num. xii.). Miriam died in the
desert at Kadesh, where she was buried
(Num. xx. 1). In Micah vi. 4 she is
mentioned, with Moses and Aaron, as a
leader of the people. S. J. Z. L.
(see image)
Miriam.( From the Sarajevo Haggadah of the
fourteenth century.) |
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In Rabbinical
Literature:
Miriam was born at the time when the
Egyptians began to embitter the lives of
the Israelites by imposing arduous tasks
upon them (comp. Ex. i. 14), and for
this reason she was called "Miriam,"
since the consonants in the word
"Miriam" () may also read "marim"
(="bitter"; Cant. R. ii. 11). She was
called also "Puah," and was, like her
mother, a midwife (comp. Ex. i. 15).
When only five years of age she was
skilful enough to help her mother (Ex.
R. i. 17; see Jochebed). She had the
courage to tell Pharaoh that he would be
punished by God for his cruelty to
Israel, and almost lost her life in
consequence (ib.). When her father,
Amram, had divorced her mother as a
result of the cruel edict referring to
the exposure of the children, she
induced him to take her mother back (ib.;
Sot.ah 12a), and she sang and danced on
the day of the remarriage of her parents
(Ex. R. i. 23; B. B. 120a). She
predicted to her father that a son would
be born to him who would liberate Israel
from the Egyptian yoke. When Moses was
born her father kissed her and said,
"Your prophecy, my daughter, is
fulfilled." But when subsequently the
child had to be cast awayher parents
upbraided her and asked what would now
be the outcome of her prophecy. Miriam
therefore went to the river (Ex. ii. 4)
to see how her prophecy would be
fulfilled (Ex. R. i. 26; Sot.ah
12b-13a).
Her Names
Miriam is said to have had also the
following names: Ephrath, Helah, Naarah,
Azubah, Jerioth, Zohar, Zereth, Ethan,
and Aharhel (comp. I Chron. ii. 18, iv.
5-8), which were given to her on special
occasions (Ex. R. i. 21; Sot.ah
11b-12a). She was married to Caleb b.
Jephunneh, or b. Hezron, to whom she
bore Hur (comp. I Chron. ii. 18-21).
Then she fell ill (hence her name "Helah")
and was thereupon left by her husband
(hence the name "Azubah"). Subsequently
she regained her health, became again
like a young woman (hence the name "Naarah"),
and was taken back by her husband (Ex.
R. l.c.). Miriam was the ancestress of
King David, and of Bezaleel, who made
the Tabernacle and its vessels.
Bezaleel's wisdom (comp. Ex. xxxi. 3) is
said to have been due to his grandmother
Miriam (Ex. R. xlviii. 6). To have so
illustrious a descendant was Miriam's
reward for not obeying Pharaoh (comp.
Ex. i. 21; Ex. R. l.c.). When Miriam
talked against Moses (comp. Num. xii.)
she did not intend to slander him; she
wished him to live with his wife and
raise children (Deut. R. vi. 6). But
when she was punished with leprosy, and
had to remain without the camp, God
honored her by officiating as priest
Himself (Zeb. 102a). The Israelites
waited for her seven days (Num. xii. 15;
Sot.ah 9b), for she had once waited for
Moses by the river (Ex. ii. 4).
Miriam is regarded as the savior of
Israel (Ex. R. xxvi. 1). For her sake a
marvelous well accompanied the
Israelites, a rock from which water
flowed. This well disappeared after
Miriam's death (Ta'an. 9a). It was
subsequently shown in the sea (Shab.
35a). Miriam, like Moses and Aaron, died
by a kiss from God (M. K.. 28a), for the
angel of death could not take her; and
worms did not touch her body (B. B.
17a). Another legend says that Miriam,
like Moses and Aaron, died on account of
the water of strife ("me meribah"; comp.
Num. xx. 7-13). This seems inconsistent,
for, according to the Bible as well as
the legends, water became scarce only
after Miriam's death, with the
disappearance of the well (Lev. R. xxxi.
5 and commentaries ad loc.).S. J. Z. L. |
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