Ancient Inscriptions Found in Sinai Peninsula May Contain Moses' Signature, Researcher Proposes—Not Everyone Agrees

Moses is a well-known religious figure across major religions of the world. Several investigations about his life have been conducted across decades, but to date, nobody has found evidence of his writing, despite him being the alleged author of "Torah." It could be changing, as an independent researcher named Michael S. Bar-Ron claims he has detected what he believes to be the signatures made by Moses. He has published his findings in Academia. However, the research is yet to be peer-reviewed, with many experts already vocalizing their opposition against the assertions. Bar-Ron asserts that he has conducted his investigation with as much precision as possible.

Where are These Signatures?

The inscriptions on which these signatures were featured had been detected in Serabit el-Khadim on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, according to All That's Interesting. Bar-Ron was specifically concentrating on two sets of inscriptions collected from the area labeled Sinai 357 and Sinai 361. He utilized methods like 3D scanning and high-resolution imaging to examine these inscriptions. His objective was to understand how the Proto-Sinaitic alphabet developed from Egyptian hieroglyphs and later transformed to represent Semitic sounds.

Both the inscriptions carried two markings, namely "ZT MMŠ" and "N'UM MŠ." The former translates to "This is from MŠ," and the latter translates to "A saying of MŠ," as per Bar-Ron. Similar markings were also observed in two other inscriptions nearby: Sinai 374 and Sinai 351. The markings in all four inscriptions are made to the right of the main text, lower down in the order. Bar-Ron further shared that the markings are either descending away from the writing or exhibit glyphs that are facing away from the text. These patterns made the researcher assert that they are "signatures of the author."

Is the Author Moses?

Bar-Ron believes that "MŠ" could be an early rendering of Moses, according to Arkeo News. These inscriptions date back to Egypt's late 12th Dynasty, when Moses supposedly lived. Bar-Ron claims that the Proto-Sinaitic alphabet exhibits a Northwest Semitic dialect, which is somewhat similar to Biblical Hebrew. "Torah," which is attributed to Moses, has been written in Hebrew. Furthermore, all four inscriptions seem to share the same poetic structure, tone, and linguistic style. It suggests that they were documented by the same scribe, who was a master of the Egyptian language.

This claim was backed by the repetition of certain unique formations across the four inscriptions. Stories claim that Moses grew up in a Pharaoh's palace, and hence must have been trained in that language. "If correct, this could be the first inscriptional evidence of Moses as a historical individual," Bar-Ron shared. "And the implications for our understanding of the Exodus traditions are enormous."

Content of the Inscriptions

Bar-Ron claims that the inscriptions reflect religious strife that unfolded in the region across centuries. From the area, he considered 22 inscriptions and divided them into five clades. Some of these clades praised Baʿalat, a Canaanite goddess, while others defaced the deity. This destruction seems to have been done by later scribes, who, after scribbling over praises of Baʿalat, wrote songs of praise for El, who was a god in Hebrew culture. The action is a form of "theological rebellion." This theory aligns with the condition of the nearby Baʿalat at Serabit el-Khadim temple. He believes that this rebellion was possibly arranged by followers of El, which may have included Moses himself.

The inscriptions also carried phrases like nimosh, meaning "let us depart," which could imply that the inscriptions were real-time records of the events of Exodus. Certain academics do not believe the assertions of signatures. Dr. Thomas Schneider, Egyptologist at the University of British Columbia, has come forward and called the claims "completely unproven and misleading." As of now, the theological world is looking forward to the scrutiny of Bar-Ron's findings, which could shed more light on the legacy of Moses.