Moses is the titular protagonist of the novel, which follows his life from birth to death. Hurston subverts the traditional Moses narrative by introducing the possibility that Moses was not ethnically Hebrew, but rather the true Egyptian son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses is defined by the strength of his powers and by his reluctance to lead. As a young man, Moses earns an early reputation as leader: “There was something about him that assured them he was a companion to be relied on in times of danger” (49). Throughout the novel, Moses performs a number of miraculous acts, such as calling down the plagues against Pharaoh and parting the Red Sea to save the Hebrews. As a result of these miracles, Moses’s “right hand [becomes] a symbol of terror and wonders” (114). In addition to the raw strength of his power, Hurston depicts Moses as an emotionally intelligent leader: “Moses had education and breeding and Moses had soul in soul” (111). Her characterization of Moses focuses on his development from a military captain to a confident, powerful leader of a nation.

Despite Moses’s obvious strengths as a leader, he remains reluctant to step into a position of power: “He just had no wish to govern his fellow men” (111).