There are two women referred to in Tanakh as "daughter of Pharaoh." The first is the woman who pulled Moses from the Nile and raised him as her son, in her father's house. According to rabbinic tradition, she converted to Judaism, and her name was Bityah, meaning "daughter of God." The second is a wife of King Solomon.
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The Compassionate PrincessTANAKH
The Compassionate Princess
TANAKH
According to the biblical narrative, the Egyptian Pharaoh's daughter took in Moses when he was only a baby and raised him as her own. The book of Exodus recounts how she came to adopt Moses as a baby — despite his origins.
King Solomon and the Egyptian PrincessTANAKH
King Solomon and the Egyptian Princess
TANAKH
The biblical King Solomon married a daughter of the Pharaoh of his time. The book of Kings describes Solomon’s various marriages to foreign wives, including to the Pharaoh’s daughter and the deleterious influence these wives had on his religious practices.
Defying Pharaoh, Embracing FaithTALMUD
Defying Pharaoh, Embracing Faith
TALMUD
When Pharaoh’s daughter rescued baby Moses from the Nile River, she did so in defiance of her father’s order to kill all newborn Israelite males. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Sotah retells the story of the rescue, emphasizing Pharaoh’s daughter’s piety and courage.
Mother of Moses, Daughter of God MIDRASH
Mother of Moses, Daughter of God
MIDRASH
Pharaoh’s daughter is identified throughout rabbinic literature as the biblical Bitya, whose name means “daughter of God.” Vayikra Rabbah, an ancient work of midrash on the book of Leviticus, highlights the symbolic meaning of her name.
A Righteous GentileJEWISH THOUGHT
A Righteous Gentile
JEWISH THOUGHT
Pharaoh’s daughter is considered a biblical hero, despite her non-Israelite heritage. A midrash in Dirshuni, a collection of contemporary women-authored midrash, considers her a paradigm for righteousness among gentiles.
The Woman Who Saw the ChildCOMMENTARY
The Woman Who Saw the Child
COMMENTARY
Pharaoh’s daughter adopted Moses after noticing him floating along the Nile River in a basket. Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, a contemporary biblical scholar, imagines the moment that Pharaoh’s daughter finds Moses and wonders what emotional and spiritual communication transpired between them.
A Miraculous ReachCOMMENTARY
A Miraculous Reach
COMMENTARY
The book of Exodus, in its description of Pharaoh’s daughter’s rescue of baby Moses, uses the Hebrew word “amah,” which can mean either “maidservant” or “hand.” Rashi, in his renowned 11th-century commentary on the Torah, uses this play on words to suggest that Pharaoh’s daughter rescued Moses with the help of a miracle.
The Cosmic Consequences of a Royal MarriageKABBALAH
The Cosmic Consequences of a Royal Marriage
KABBALAH
The biblical narrative sharply criticizes King Solomon for marrying a daughter of the Pharaoh, and later interpreters imagine that the consequences of his actions extended far beyond his own lifetime. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, connects King Solomon’s marriage to the ascent of the Roman Empire, historical enemies of the Jewish people.
Transforming Impurity into HolinessCHASIDUT
Transforming Impurity into Holiness
CHASIDUT
The story of Pharaoh's daughter saving Moses is not just a tale of compassion. Rabbi Nathan Sternhartz of Nemirov, a leading disciple of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, offers a symbolic interpretation of how the experience of saving Moses from the Nile transformed the daughter of Pharaoh and ultimately led to the redemption from Egypt.
Another Name for Pharaoh’s DaughterSECOND TEMPLE
Another Name for Pharaoh’s Daughter
SECOND TEMPLE
Most rabbinic texts refer to the daughter of Pharaoh who adopted Moses as Bitya, a name which means “daughter of God.” But the book of Jubilees, an apocryphal retelling of the events of the books of Genesis and Exodus, identifies Pharaoh’s daughter by the name of an Egyptian goddess instead.
Journey to ParadiseTALMUD
Journey to Paradise
TALMUD
Pharaoh’s daughter is recognized throughout the Jewish tradition as having exceptional virtue. Tractate Derekh Eretz Zuta, one of the minor tractates of the Talmud, lists Pharaoh’s daughter among the righteous people who entered paradise while still alive.
Saved from the PlagueHALAKHAH
Saved from the Plague
HALAKHAH
The story of Pharaoh’s daughter may have implications for contemporary Jewish practice. Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, in his 19th-century halakhic digest, Arukh HaShulchan, notes that a midrash implies that she was saved from the plague of the firstborn of Egypt and examines the implications of that claim with respect to the fast of the firstborn, traditionally observed on the eve of Passover.
