Some attempt to argue for Moses' 'African heritage' or Egyptian ethnicity by pointing to Exodus 2:9, where the daughters of Jethro tell their father, referring to Moses, 'An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.' However, this identification was almost certainly based on outward contingencies rather than ethnicity.

Moses had just spent a lot of time in the desert; native Egyptians, like the Judeans, are swarthy of skin. The girls' identification of him as an 'Egyptian' was far more likely based on his dress (he would have worn the clothing of the Egyptian royal court up until his flight), some official insignia, or his language and accent. This verse is not evidence that Moses was an ethnic Egyptian rather than a Hebrew.

A popular claim is that the birth story of Moses (Exodus 2:1-10) was copied from the legend of the ancient Assyrian king Sargon, who was also placed in a caulked basket in a river and later adopted. However, a closer look at the cultural background reveals critical differences that make borrowing highly unlikely.

First, regarding the secrecy of the birth: Moses was hidden because of a literal genocide ordered by Pharaoh. Sargon's mother, however, was a high priestess who had to avoid pregnancy to hold her office; Sargon's unknown father indicates an illegitimate birth, a factor completely absent in Exodus.

Second, regarding the basket and the river: Sargon's mother abandoned him to the river's current, intending to cast him away (though the caulking shows she wanted him to survive the trip). In contrast, Moses' mother carefully placed his basket among the reeds at the river's brink specifically to prevent him from floating away and to keep him safe from danger. The basket was designed to attract the attention of the Egyptians, likely resembling baskets attached to Egyptian ships.

Third, the adoption of foundlings was a regulated and common practice in ancient Mesopotamia, making it a natural historical occurrence rather than a copied mythological motif. The significant differences indicate that these are independent accounts reflecting common ancient realities, not the result of literary borrowing.