The answer is: Three months

Ex 2:2

Moses's story is not only foundational to the Hebrew Bible but is also packed with compelling themes of courage, identity, and divine intervention. It’s fascinating to consider the courage of Moses’ mother, Jochebed, who made the heartbreaking decision to hide her son for three months during a time of oppression. Pharaoh had ordered that all Hebrew baby boys be killed, so Jochebed’s protective instinct leads her to hide Moses rather than surrender him to certain death. After three months, the risk of discovery must have become too high, and the plan to set him afloat in a basket made of papyrus reeds is nothing short of an act of faith.

This tiny vessel, described in Exodus 2:3, resembles a miniature ark, linking Moses's story to the broader biblical narrative of salvation and preservation. Just like Noah's Ark saved a remnant of humanity, Moses’s ark danced along the Nile, destined to rescue the Israelites from shackles of slavery.

Interestingly, the Nile was intertwined with various Egyptian deities, and casting a Hebrew child into those waters can be seen as a reflection of hope against the odds, where God’s intentions to deliver myoptically soared above societal power dynamics.

Adding another layer, Moses was taken in by Pharaoh's daughter, demonstrating how often God’s plans lead to surprising outcomes and relationships that transcend usual boundaries. The backstory of Moses offers rich insight into how one man's life can turn the tides of an entire nation, stirring waters long overdue for change.