The term "papyrus basket" is most notably associated with the account of Moses in the Old Testament. In the Book of Exodus, the narrative describes how the infant Moses was placed in a papyrus basket to save him from Pharaoh's decree to kill all Hebrew male infants.

Jul 25, 2024 · As a baby, Moses was placed in a basket and set adrift amid the reeds by the side of the Nile River. Read why and what happened next.

In Exodus, the mother of baby Moses places him in a “papyrus basket” to save his life, and Job compares his days to swift-passing “boats of papyrus.” But papyrus’s most important role in the history of the Bible is as material on which the biblical text was written.

The use of a basket made of papyrus and sealed with tar and pitch reflects the common materials and techniques of the time for making small boats and containers. The Nile River, a central feature of Egyptian life and culture, becomes the setting for this act of faith and divine intervention.

When she could no longer hide him, she got him a basket (chest) made of papyrus reeds and covered it with tar and pitch [making it waterproof]. Then she put the child in it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.

(And by the way, numerous papyrus baskets dating to this period do exist and provide a speculative glimpse of the type of vessel that Moses was placed inside.) A well-preserved Egyptian basket (c. 1480 B.C.E.), probably comparable to the one described as carrying Moses (and dating to almost precisely the time period in question, according to ...

But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

So when Moses’ mom could not hide him any longer, she put him in a papyrus basket and sent him down the Nile. The word for this basket in Hebrew is tebah, and it’s the same word used for “ark,” as in Noah’s ark. These two arks are very different. Moses’ ark was maybe a yard long. Noah’s ark was 150 times longer.

She makes a basket from bulrushes or papyrus reeds and coats it with pitch so it will float. This construction includes some similarities to Noah's ark, which included pitch that would allow it to float on the water.

Our Papyrus Basket can make any day feel like vacation. Woven papyrus, bamboo handles, and a tiered hanging pompom tassel elevates every outfit.