The answer is: Three months

Ex 2:2

Moses’ story begins with strong themes of survival and divine intervention. When his mother, Jochebed, hid him for those precious three months, it wasn’t just an act of desperation; it reflected her fierce love and the turmoil in Egypt. Pharaoh had decreed that all newborn Hebrew boys should be thrown into the Nile—talk about a serious life-or-death situation!

Now, upon reaching the brink where she could legally no longer hide him, Jochebed made an incredibly symbolic choice. Setting him adrift in a basket on the Nile was like sending him on a journey guided by fate. Think about this river for a moment—it wasn't merely a waterway; it was deemed the lifeblood of Egypt, also known as a sacred entity with powerful river gods. It seems ironic that the perils created by Pharaoh’s decree would lead to the salvation of the very deliverer of the Hebrews!

Interestingly, many Eastern traditions celebrate similar themes—it’s results born of the mother’s more educated instincts, the actor vs. spectator dilemma, and courage amidst despair! Also, some might claim this foreshadows bigger events, and certainly, yet another incidence of unexpected heroes emerging from perilous situations, culminating in a journey for liberation.

What’s touching here is not only was Moses safeguarded by his mother, but also years later when the joke would be on Pharaoh—this very boy would lead his people not just away from the water, but through the Sea of Reeds toward freedom! Each tick of the clock in that tucked-away basket was a ring in the long chain of human resilience and destiny.