Miriam
The sister of Moses and Aaron, and a prophetess. She watched the basket among the reeds and offered Pharaoh's daughter a Hebrew nurse — the child's own mother. After the sea she took a tambourine and led the women in the song 'Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously'. Later she and Aaron spoke against Moses over his Cushite wife and questioned whether the Lord had spoken only through him; she became leprous for seven days and the whole camp waited for her. She died at Kadesh.
What we know — and how we know it
Where in scripture
ExodusHis sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.
Exodus 2:4 — Watches over baby Moses
Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.
Exodus 15:20 — Leads the women in song
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
Family
In their own words — 3 recorded sayings
“Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, May I go and get you one of the Hebrew women to give him the breast?” — Exodus 2:7
“And Miriam, answering, said, Make a song to the Lord, for he is lifted up in glory; the horse and the horseman he has sent into the sea.” — Exodus 15:21
“And they said, Have the words of the Lord been given to Moses only? have they not come to us? And the Lord took note of it.” — Numbers 12:2
Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).
Events
In art
