Moses is one of the most significant figures in the Bible. As the leader of the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt and journey to the Promised Land, Moses plays a pivotal role in the Old Testament narrative. However, one question that often arises is: what color was Moses?
This question stems from curiosity about Moses’ ethnic background and appearance. The Bible itself does not explicitly state what skin color Moses had. As a result, there has been debate among scholars and readers about Moses’ potential race and skin tone.
In this blog post, we will dive into this question from a biblical perspective. We will examine key factors like:
- Moses’ ancestry
- The geographic setting of Moses’ life
- Descriptions of Moses in the Bible
- Depictions of Moses in art history
- Perspectives from different faith traditions
By thoroughly exploring what the Bible reveals about Moses’ world, cultural context, and life experiences, we can make some informed hypotheses about what skin color he likely had. The goal is to move past speculation and uncover a thoughtful, nuanced perspective on this question.
Key Takeaways:
- The Bible does not definitively state Moses’ skin color, so absolute certainty is not possible
- Moses’ ancestry points to him likely having darker skin, though his exact ethnicity is unclear
- The geographic setting of Moses’ life in Africa/Mid-East suggests darker skin tones were common
- Descriptions of Moses focus on his authority and powers, not his appearance
- Artistic depictions vary widely, with both lighter and darker skin tones used
- Moses’ ethnicity and color are insignificant compared to his role and character
With these core insights in mind, let’s dive into exploring this intriguing question.
Moses’ Ancestry and Ethnic Background
The first clue to understanding what Moses may have looked like comes from tracing his family history and genealogy. According to the Bible, Moses was a Hebrew raised in Egypt. He was born to Israelites living in Egypt during the period when the Pharaoh had ordered the death of all Hebrew baby boys (Exodus 1:22).
To save her infant son, Moses’ mother placed him in a basket and set him afloat on the Nile River, where he was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter and adopted (Exodus 2:1-10). Thus, Moses grew up in the royal Egyptian household. However, he was nursed by his biological mother as a baby and was aware of his Hebrew heritage (Exodus 2:7-10).
Moses’ birth parents were Amram and Jochebed of the Levite tribe (Exodus 6:20). Going back further, the Israelite patriarch Abraham was originally from Ur of the Chaldees, an ancient city in Mesopotamia (Genesis 11:31). But God called Abraham to migrate from Ur to Canaan, the Promised Land. Abraham’s grandson Jacob—who was later named Israel—fathered 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel.
So Moses descended from Abraham and other Hebrew patriarchs. His ethnicity and ancestry clearly trace back to the Semitic peoples of the ancient Near East. The Semitic groups in this region, including Hebrews like Moses, were consistently described as having darker skin tones.
Therefore, although Moses grew up in an Egyptian palace, his underlying ethnicity was Hebrew. This ancestral connection suggests he would have likely had a darker skin color rather than lighter European tone.
Geographic Location and Skin Tone
In addition to Moses’ ethnicity, the geographic location where he lived also gives clues about his potential appearance and skin tone. According to the Bible narrative, Moses was born in Egypt, then led the Israelites on a 40-year journey through the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula to the borders of Canaan.
This region of Northeast Africa and the Middle East has a generally hot, sunny climate. Populations native to areas around Egypt and the Levant naturally developed darker skin pigmentation. The level of skin melanin was an evolutionary adaptation to help block intense ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Therefore, the climate and geography of Moses’ world lend themselves to darker skin tones. Lighter pigmentation would have been far less common in that environment. As someone raised in Egypt and Midian and spending years shepherding in the Sinai wilderness, Moses’ skin color was very unlikely to be pale or pinkish.
This geographic clue aligns with Moses’ ancestral background in suggesting he would have had distinctly olive or brown skin, adjusted for optimal life in a hot sunny climate.
Descriptions of Moses in the Bible
Do any passages in the Bible itself describe Moses’ appearance or skin tone? There are not many clear details, but a few descriptions give potential clues.
After meeting with God on Mount Sinai, Moses’ face was said to shine or give off rays of light when he descended carrying the Ten Commandments:
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord…When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. (Exodus 34:29-30)
This radiant glow may have made Moses’ skin tone appear more lustrous. But the light shone from an external divine source, not from Moses himself.
Later in life, Moses is described this way:
Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. (Deuteronomy 34:7)
The fact that Moses’ vigor and eyesight remained keen at such an old age suggests he was generally healthy. But it does not directly indicate anything about his skin color per se.
The prophet Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ sister and brother, briefly questioned Moses’ authority. As punishment, Miriam’s skin was made leprous or “white as snow” (Numbers 12:1-10). This indicates Miriam’s normal skin tone was definitely not light or white. By extension, her brother Moses likely also had a darker complexion.
In summary, the Bible passages that describe Moses focus mainly on his authority, power, and energy. They do not reveal specific details about his physical appearance or skin pigmentation. But indirect clues like radiance, health, and Miriam’s change in skin tone lean toward Moses also having a darker, olive complexion.
Artistic Depictions of Moses Across History
Over centuries of art history, Moses has been depicted in paintings, sculptures, film, and other media. But the representations of his appearance vary widely across cultures, geography, and time periods.
In many European artworks, Moses was painted with lighter skin and European facial features. Famous examples include Rembrandt’s 1658 painting Moses with the Ten Commandments, and the iconic Michelangelo statue of Moses completed in 1515.
However, populations in North Africa and the Middle East portrayed Moses with darker skin matching his geographical origins. A wide range exists between those extremes. This artistic diversity demonstrates that definitive visual proof of Moses’ color remains elusive.
The variation also shows that ethnic and cultural biases have inevitably shaped which interpretations of Moses predominated in different eras and regions. With today’s broader historical understanding, we can take a more balanced cross-cultural view.
Moses was unlikely to resemble the light-skinned European figures in some classical Western artworks. But he also may not have had the very darkest pigmentation sometimes depicted either, especially given his mixed ethnicity. A realistic middle ground seems most plausible based on ancestry and geography.
Perspectives from Jewish, Islamic, and Christian Traditions
In the three major Abrahamic faiths that revere Moses as a prophet—Judaism, Islam, and Christianity—there are some differing perspectives about his ethnicity and appearance. But overall, the consensus aligns with Moses having a darker skin tone.
In Jewish tradition, Moses is universally revered as the greatest prophet and teacher. There is a general sense that his original ethnic background was mixed both Near Eastern and North African, consistent with the Hebrew roots in these regions.
Two Jewish historians around the 1st century AD described Moses as having a more olive/darker complexion. The historian Josephus said Moses “had a ruddy complexion, and benevolent countenance.” Another source said Moses was “tall and ruddy, with the hair of his head curled small.” Ruddy can suggest reddish or olive tones associated with the Near East and Egypt.
In Islam, Moses (called Musa) is also considered a major prophet and the leader of the Israelites during the Exodus. The Quran does not specifically describe Musa’s appearance, but he is typically thought of as having darker skin and Middle Eastern/Arab facial features reflecting the geography and ethnic demographics of the Muslim world.
In Christianity, the dominant religious tradition in Europe, Moses was often depicted with lighter European features in medieval and Renaissance art, as discussed previously. This became the most common image of Moses. But the Bible does not preclude viewing Moses as having darker skin, even if classical artists took creative license in rendering a more familiar tone.
Ultimately, the shared Judeo-Christian-Islamic reverence for Moses rests more on his character and actions than his physical appearance. But the overall non-European origins of Moses lend themselves to assuming he reflected the skin pigmentation of his native region, rather than lighter European features.
Conclusion: Moses’ Character and Significance Are Paramount
What can we conclude from this extensive biblical and historical investigation into what skin color Moses had? Although absolute certainty is impossible, the combination of ancestry, geography, and reasonable inference point to Moses likely having a darker olive complexion, possibly moderately dark but not very black.
European artistic renditions lightened Moses’ skin tone considerably, but this was not firmly grounded in the textual and contextual evidence. The location and climate of the ancient Near East and Egypt, as well as Moses’ ethnic background, reasonably suggest he would have had some depth of melanin pigmentation.
But in the end, the Bible shows Moses’ character and actions were far more meaningful than his external appearance. His choices and leadership made him a towering person of faith, regardless of his ethnicity.
Through the extensive Exodus narrative and laws like the Ten Commandments, Moses delivered a mixed multitude of Hebrew slaves out of bondage and set them on a trajectory to nationhood in the Promised Land. Moses acted as a vessel to reveal God’s presence and higher standards of holiness to the Israelites. For Christians, Moses and the Exodus also point ahead typologically to the deliverance from sin accomplished by Jesus Christ.
Moses’ bold trust in God makes him an inspiration across racial, ethnic, and cultural lines—for people of every color. As Hebrews 11:23-29 summarizes:
By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child…By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible…By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land.
Moses left a legacy of tenacious faith that all believers should emulate. His ethnicity and skin tone are secondary aspects that do not limit who can be touched by his example.
Though the Bible does not state it directly, the evidence suggests Moses’ appearance likely aligned with the geographic and ethnic context of the ancient Near Eastern world. In our time, diversity of perspectives allows us to expand our view of how Moses may have looked. Yet who Moses was as a servant of God remains his most important and inspiring quality.
