A Proto-miracle: Manna from the Desert

The miraculous feeding of the followers of Moses in the desert with manna is common to both the Qur'an and the Old Testament. It is the proto-food miracle in Islam, Christianity and Judaism. In addition, for the Christian, the manna which came down on the Children of Israel in the desert has a special significance, typologically, as a type of the future Eucharist.

In the Qur'an we read:

The text makes clear that the followers of Moses swiftly grew discontented with the monotony of their diet:

The Old Testament Exodus text also includes a reference to quails in its narration. In this, the Israelite community complains about its lack of food to Moses and tells him that they might just as well have remained in Egypt where food was plentiful. God then tells Moses that he will shower them with bread which is to be collected every day by the people as a daily ration for their subsistence. This injunction is a test since God wishes to see whether the community will obey his laws and commands. The sixth day's preparation of food, however, must be double the norm for the other days.

Implicit, then, in the projected miracle of the manna is the key theme of testing and obedience.

The event, as outlined in the Book of the Exodus takes place as follows: quails overfly the Israelite camp in the evening and the following day they find their camp covered in dew. The latter lifts, leaving a strange substance behind ‘as fine as hoarfrost on the ground’. The puzzled Israelites ask among themselves what this could be. Moses tells them that it is food which God has sent down to them for their sustenance in the desert.