And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. (Exodus 2:5 King James Version).
Above is yet another sample of the numerous gorgeous frescoes from Dura Europos and the third century CE proudly displayed at the National Museum of Damascus.
The following description is a translation from the French original as rendered by Sélim and Andrée Abdul-Haq.
Starting from the angle of the wall, four scenes are identified as a graphic narrative of saving Moses from the waters, adapted from Exodus chapters I & II.
Dressed and coiffed after Persian manners, Pharaoh is seated on his throne between an officer and a scribe, ordering the death of Jewish newborns. Two women extend their hands towards him. A crenelated wall with a door likely represents Pharaoh's palace. Another woman is kneeling and leaning towards the river to depose a faded object, probably Moses in his basket. Next is Pharaoh's daughter bathing when she discovers the baby. Behind her are three servants dressed with a double Greek robe each and carrying toilet implements. Finally, Moses is returned to his mother.
Sélim et Andrée Abdul-Haq. Catalogue Illustré du Département des antiquités Greco-Romaines au Musée de Damas, 1951.
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