Holy Prophetess Miriam
When it comes to Miriam’s prophetic identity, there’s a few key details to keep in mind. When she’s first introduced as a prophetess in Exodus 15:20-21, it’s immediately followed by her breaking out in song. This occurs right after her brother, the prophet Moses, had also sang about God’s salvation (Ex. 15:1-18), and it seems that prophetic singing is very characteristic of the Hebrew Scriptures (cf. Deut. 32, the Psalms, etc.) By the time we get to Numbers 11-12, the prophetic ministry is described in more detail. When a young man complained to Moses that there were others in the camp prophesying, Moses’ response was his wish that “all the Lord’s people were prophets” (Num. 11:29), a sentiment later echoed by the minor prophets (Joel 2:28). Right after this, in Numbers 12, we’re fittingly given a story surrounding some of these other prophets, and Miriam is at the center of it. Her and Aaron affirm that the Lord has “spoken through us also” (Num. 12:2), not just Moses, and they use this to try and challenge Moses’ unique standing with God.
For challenging the Lord’s highest prophet, Miriam was struck with biblical leprosy (quite different from modern leprosy) and her skin became white “like snow” (Num. 12:10), a fate typically reserved for prophetic figures (cf. Ex. 4:6, 2 Kg. 5:27). Due to her unclean leprosy, she had to wait outside the camp for a week, and we’re interestingly told that, “the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again” (Num. 12:15), heavily implying that she had some kind of following/ministry within Israel. This is the last time Miriam shows up in the story, however the Lord later reaffirms her importance in Micah 6:4, “I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.” Perhaps, Moses the head of Israel, Aaron the head of priests, and Miriam the head of prophets? This same kind of trio also seems to show up after the destruction of the Tabernacle, with Samson, Samuel, and Jephthah’s daughter.
Regardless, what all of this tells us is that, unlike the royal and priestly ministries in Israel, the prophetic ministry was (at least in principle) open to “all the Lord’s people,” including and especially women like Miriam. It seems that their main role was to be spiritual “leaders” among the people, encouraging them in faith, and interceding for them before the Lord and His chosen rulers (even if it wasn’t always for noble reasons).
This makes sense of why the name “Miriam” or “Mary” was so popular in first century Judea, and why our Lord ordained His Mother to have this name as well. Like the old Miriam, our blessed Mother also broke out in prophetic song in the midst of God saving His people (Lk. 1:46-56). She also seems to have been a kind of spiritual leader in early Christianity, helping to run the Jerusalem church with the other members of Jesus’ family (cf. Acts 1:14). Just as Moses, Aaron, and Miriam were sent before Israel in the midst of the first Exodus, so too were Jesus, Peter, and Mary sent before the Church for the new Exodus. And just as the old Miriam had a prophetic/intercessory standing with Moses, so now does holy Mary intercede for us before the throne of the Eternal Law-Giver, only she never does so with ill-intent.