Jochebed יוֹכֶ֫בֶד

Jochebed, meaning "Yahweh is glory," was the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. She is mentioned in Exo.6.20 and Num.26.59 in the genealogical records of the Levites. Jochebed was the daughter of Levi, born to him in Egypt. She married her nephew Amram, the son of her brother Kohath. This marriage took place before the laws prohibiting such unions were given (Lev.18.12).

Jochebed gave birth to three children who would play significant roles in Israel's history: Miriam, the eldest, followed by Aaron and Moses. According to Exo.2.1-10, when Moses was born, Jochebed hid him for three months to protect him from Pharaoh's edict to kill all male Hebrew babies. When she could no longer hide him, she placed him in a basket among the reeds of the Nile River, where he was found and adopted by Pharaoh's daughter. Jochebed's faith and courage in protecting her son led to Moses being raised in the Egyptian court, ultimately preparing him for his future role as Israel's deliverer.