Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago

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This painting from an Arabic manuscript of the Qisas al-anbiya, or “Tales of the Prophets,” most likely produced in India in the late 16th or early 17th century, depicts the biblical story of the duel between the prophet Moses and the Pharaoh’s sorcerers. Listen in to hear why Moses was later painted over, the significance of the serpent’s presence, and how artists deployed comedy to instill moral lessons to their readers.

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