Sigmund Freud and the countenance of Moses

Sigmund Freud, as is well known, was overwhelmed by the person of Moses. This profound impact is revealed in his "The Moses of Michelangelo," first published in 1914, and "Moses and Monotheism," issued in 1933, the final work of his career. His biographers, in the light of these writings, have sought to discover the sources of this strong influence of Moses. A few claim that Moses arrived late on Freud's life stage. Most recognize that Freud was attracted to Moses early in his personal development. Their explanations to account for Freud's attachment to Moses, however, seem inadequate. The present article explores this issue and attributes the fascination and powerful imprint of Moses as stemming from a frequently viewed frontispiece found in each volume of the Philippson Bible, a lithograph of Moses displaying the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel. From childhood on, Sigmund gazed upon the face of Moses with his piercing eyes as his father related biblical stories to him, particularly the deeds of Moses, during their studies. The role of Jacob Freud with respect to the Freud-Moses relationship is herein discussed. The general conclusion emphasizes, as does Sigmund Freud himself, the enduring power of childhood experiences and their lifelong effect.