The film opens with a breathtaking, summary-free prologue. To escape Pharaoh Seti's decree that all newborn Hebrew males be drowned, Yocheved sets her infant son adrift on the Nile. He is discovered by Queen Tuya and named Moses, raised as a prince of Egypt alongside his hot-headed brother, Rameses.

The film’s score, composed by Hans Zimmer with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, is central to its identity. Key musical moments include:

Moses, raised as an Egyptian prince alongside his adoptive brother Ramses, discovers his Hebrew origins and is compelled by God to free the enslaved Israelites. Conflict with Ramses escalates into the Ten Plagues and the Exodus; Moses leads his people out of Egypt and parts the Red Sea.