Jannes and Jambres
Jannes and Jambres (Yannes and Yambres) according to tradition were the two chief Egyptian magicians who first opposed Moses before Pharaoh,[1] when they threw down their staffs:
- "For every man cast down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods."[2]
They are probably among the chief counsellors of Pharaoh and the same magicians among those also mentioned in Exodus 7:22 and 8:7, 18-19 and 9:11, producing blood and frogs, but powerless to imitate the effects of the other plagues of Egypt. The entire Biblical account of their activities is found in Exodus 7–10 and 2 Timothy 3:8.
Jewish legend suggests that Jannes and Jambres accompanied the Israelites among the "mixed multitude" that departed from Egypt after the night of Passover,[3] and assigns to them the primary blame for counselling the making of the golden calf at Mount Sinai.[4]