MIRIAM. 1. The sister of Moses and Aaron, probably older than either. It was she who watched Moses in the ark of bulrushes ( Exodus 2:4 ff.). She is called ‘the prophetess,’ and led the women in the song of victory at the Red Sea ( Exodus 15:20 f.). In the course of the wilderness wanderings she combined with Aaron against Moses, and was punished by leprosy, which was healed in answer to the prayer of Moses ( Numbers 12:1-15 ). She died in Kadesh towards the end of the wilderness journey ( Numbers 20:1 ). Her story is referred to in Deuteronomy 24:8-9 in connexion with the ceremonial law of leprosy, and in Micah 6:4 she is spoken of along with Moses and Aaron as a leader of the people.
The name Miriam becomes in Greek Mariam and Mariamne, also Maria, our Mary and is probably of Egyptian derivation ( mer Amon , ‘beloved of Amon’).
2. A man (or woman) of the family of Caleb ( 1 Chronicles 4:17 ).
W. F. Boyd.