Quick: When I say the word bulrushes, who’s the first person you think of?
If you said Moses, you win first prize. Honorable mention goes to anyone who said Jochebed (his mother), Miriam (his sister), Aaron (his brother) or Pharaoh’s daughter, who rescued three-month-old Moses from the Nile River but is unnamed in the Old Testament book of Exodus.
I’ve always thought that Baby Moses—who wasn’t given that name until he was adopted by the Egyptian royal family after being set afloat by his birth mother–was hidden amongst bulrushes that grew along the bank of the river, though I’ve never been quite sure what a bulrush is. Come to find out, it’s a stout, grasslike plant that grows in wet places and is traditionally used to weave baskets, chair mats and other such things.
After an exhaustive search of many translations of Exodus 2:3, I learned that Moses was NOT hidden in bulrushes but was nestled into a basket constructed of bulrushes. Some Bible translations say it was made of papyrus, which is pretty much the same thing. Most translations say that Jochebed placed the basket (sometimes referred to as an ark, though nothing like Noah’s Ark) amongst the reeds or flags or tall grass. But not bulrushes.
Knock me over with a feather!
Anyway, all this ruminating about wetland vegetation occurred because I recently attended a performance of “The Prince of Egypt” at Cookeville High School.
I’d never seen the play on stage, and it had been many years since I’d watched the 1998 animated musical. It hadn’t been quite that long since I’d read Exodus, but it had been a while. So, with the intention of comparing in this column what I saw on stage with what’s actually in the Bible, I read every word of the first fourteen chapters of Exodus. It was a laborious task, especially given the smallness of the font in the Bible I was using.
As is almost always the case, the book is longer and more detailed than the movie or stage version. The fabulous singing and dancing are missing from the Bible account. Movie and stage versions have taken out lots of names that are difficult to pronounce or remember and left out some of the boring parts.
But whether the story of Moses delivering the Hebrew people from centuries of enslavement in Egypt is written or performed, it’s one of the most unforgettable tales ever.
What could be more riveting than mass infanticide? Or a burning bush in the desert? Or a staff changing into a snake and then back into a staff? Or a river turning from water to blood? Or plagues of frogs and lice and flies and—worst of all!—locusts? Or hideous livestock illnesses? Or inflamed, pus-filled boils on humans? Or hailstorms and days of total darkness?
What could be more unforgettable than the Lord passing over the homes of the children of Israel, who had been forewarned to paint the blood of a lamb on their doors, before destroying the firstborn sons of the Egyptians? Whose heart can remain unstirred by the words LET MY PEOPLE GO? And who can ever forget the image of the Red Sea parting to allow Moses and the Hebrew people to pass through before drowning the Egyptian army?
I know I won’t ever forget. It’s why Exodus is my favorite Old Testament book.
All of which leads back to this: the Cookeville High School performance of “The Prince of Egypt” is magnificent. Astonishing. Not to be missed. If you’re reading this column online or in the Herald-Citizen’s print version on the morning of May 2, you have two more chances to see it: at 2:00 Saturday afternoon or 7:30 Saturday evening.
It’ll be a crying shame if you don’t.
(May 2, 2026)