The Burning bush was, according to the Book of Exodus, a bush on Mount Sinai which appeared to be burning without being consumed by the flames. In 1491 BC, Moses was called to the bush while tending Jethro's flocks, and he heard the voice of God tell him that he was the god of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God sent Moses to the Pharaoh in order to bring the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and God then told Moses that he would lead them to a land of "milk and honey" in the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. While Moses was reluctant to take on the role of "the Deliverer", he left his peaceful life as a shepherd to return to Egypt.