According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, the staff used by Moses (called a rod in the King James Bible) was by his side throughout important milestones in the narrative. Amongst these milestone events or "miracles of the exodus" the bible describes that the staff was used to produce water from a rock, invoke plagues on the Egyptians, and on several occasion was transformed into a snake and back.[1]
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There are many speculations about what has happened to Moses's staff.
The Midrash (a homiletic method of biblical exegesis) states that the staff was passed down from generation to generation and was in the possession of the Judean kings until the First Temple was destroyed. It is unknown what became of the staff after the Temple was destroyed and the Jews were exiled from their land.
According to an identifying document at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Moses's staff is on display today at the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, Turkey. The Topkapi Palace holds other reputedly holy relics, most notably of the Prophet Muhammad. (Such as his bow, his sword, his footprint, and even a tooth.) Topkapı Palace was officially designated a museum in 1924, and the holy relics were placed on public view on 31 August 1962. It is said that Sultan Selim I (1512–1520) brought the holy relics to Topkapi Palace after conquering Egypt in 1517. These holy relics were used every year for ceremonial purposes: On the fifteenth day of the month of Ramazan several of the items were kissed by the Sultan, his vezirs and dignitaries. This was believed to bring about the victory of good and the defeat of evil, during the reign of Sultan Selim.[2]
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