Sermon online 2026-05-03 Miriam by Rev. Mark J.T. Caggiano, 5/3/26
Exodus 15:20–21; John 14:1-14

Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went
out after her with tambourines and with dancing. And Miriam sang to them: ‘Sing to the Lord,
for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.’

This passage is known as the Song of Miriam. It is rather short for a song, merely a single line. It
could have been longer and the rest was lost to time. Or it could have been an extended chant,
repeated over and over, for which the musical form has been lost to time. No one knows.
The passage is unusual in two respects. This song or poem is thought to be the oldest verse in the
Bible. The oldest verse of them all, meaning that this verse has been traced back to the oldest
Biblical text available.

Now you might think, would not the Book of Genesis be the oldest text? Actually, the Book of
Genesis is considered the youngest section of the Torah, set down after the other four major
books. That should not be surprising if you consider what it implies. You might have a book on
your shelf about the American Revolution published last year and another book about the Second
World War published in the 1990s. Which story is older?

The other unusual aspect of this selection is the reference to Miriam as a prophet. Occasionally
women in the Bible are called prophets, or prophetesses, if they are married to prophet like
Isaiah. They are prophet adjacent.

But Miriam is considered a prophet in her own right, someone sent as a representative of God.
Notably, her two more famous siblings are Moses and Aaron, two other prophets from whom
much of the priesthood of Israel would claim their lineage. That honor was not given to Miriam
as women were not considered as candidates for the priesthood. Which view has changed in
certain corners of Judaism and Christianity.