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Why did Moses flee from Egypt to Midian?
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Moses
Moses Showing the Tables of the Law to the People, oil painting by Rembrandt, 1659; in the Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin.
Moses fled from Egypt to Midian after killing an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a Hebrew laborer.1
Initially, Moses believed his act of justice would go unnoticed, as he had checked to ensure no one was watching before killing the overseer. However, his confidence turned to fear when he later attempted to mediate a fight between two Hebrews and discovered that his "secret" was known. Realizing that his actions would soon be exposed to the pharaoh, Moses fled to Midian to escape the consequences of his deed.1