Moses and Pharaoh's Magicians: A Discursive Analysis of the Qur'anic Narratives in the Light of Late Antique Texts and Traditions

Abstract

This paper provides a comparative analysis of the Qur'anic narratives of Moses and Pharaoh's magicians and the Biblical narrative as transmitted through the targummim and Peshitta, and Jewish and Christian interpretive traditions. This analysis views these narratives as a means of better understanding the discursive development of the earliest Qur'anic community and how they assisted that community in making sense of its world. Viewing how the Qur'an deliberately crafts these narratives gives insights into the circumstances and context of its revelation, particularly as it makes deliberate choices related to textual readings. Such choices, I argue, impacted the discursive norms and attitudes of the community. Presenting the chronological relationship of the narratives illustrates such discursive development. This paper analyses the similarities and differences in the Biblical and Qur'anic narratives, focusing particularly on the narratological roles of Aaron, the nobles, and the magicians, to illustrate the homiletic and exhortatory messages impacting that discourse development. The effective use of these narratives as models for the ethical and moral behaviour of the believing community and its identity formation cannot be understated.