Moses with his staff changing into a serpent, on an ostracon (a piece of pottery) found in 2002 in Umm Balad, Egypt. According to Hélène Cuvigny, "the oldest representation of Moses, drawn by a Jew around 100 AD". Found in Egypt's eastern desert. I guess “Egypt's eastern desert”, would be Sinai? One should check inside the book to understand why Cuvigny assumed it was drawn by a Jew. I said we will be writing about art. One needs art as elixir for the soul to sooth the bones from the (very) straining subjects in our conversations.
The tone and the shape of the broken shard adds to the dynamism of the dancing figure. Usually, the old graphics are rather static, even when they represent a moving figure, they look like striking a pose rather than moving. You can see it not only in Egyptian drawings that were static by design but often in Greek vases or sculpture. The figures there frequently look masterfully traced but frozen. This “fluid” Moses is clearly moving, dancing, he is alive! The massive beard that covers almost the entire body of Moses is flapping in the wind adding to the perception of the forward movement. The staff is turning into a serpent in front of our very eyes dynamically, the hand outstretched in a dance. The right foot forward and left hand backwards is how humans move. There is some three-dimensional depth to the picture.
Even though this “sketch” is primitive and far inferior to what Greeks and Romans were doing at the same time or centuries earlier, it shows a considerable skill of an artist. The decorative drawing is done in one line, quickly. But no one can draw like this without much practice and much talent. It would be wonderful to see the entire vase. But this shard is so beautiful and amazing!
P.S. There is a habit of showing Moshe (and God) as an old man. This is a young or youthful Moses.
Update:
Article by Hélène Cuvigny in French.
Silly article looking for snakes in Sinai.