fl. 1300s-1200s B.C.

Hebrew leader who liberated the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, leading them on an epic journey through the Middle East to Canaan. The story of these exploits is contained in the biblical books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. He is regarded as the founder of the nation of Israel and the recorder of its first laws. A section of these laws, the Ten Commandments, was fundamental to the development of western civilization.