24 x 36 oil on canvas
SPLITTING OF THE SEA
Having escaped from slavery, the children of Israel find their path blocked by the Sea of Reeds. The Egyptian army is closing in behind them. It is nighttime. It seems a nightmare.
G‑d tells Moses to hold out his staff over the sea. A mighty wind begins to blow, and continues blowing intensely throughout the night.
As morning approaches, the sea splits and the children of Israel march through. The Egyptian army, following close behind, is foiled, the wheels of their chariots snatched away by the mud, riders and chariots dragged torturously by their horses.
Now Moses holds out his staff once more. In the language of the Hebrew text, “The sea returned to its strength”—with a fury, drowning an entire army. The nightmare reveals itself as an ambush to the pursuer and a pathway to liberation.