The Israelites lived under the slavery of the Egyptians for many years until God used Moses to lead them to freedom. Having crossed through the miraculously parted waters of the Red Sea, the Israelites were led by Moses into the desert. They traveled through this desert for some time, and soon they had no food. Forgetting the wonders that God had already worked for them, the people grew afraid that they would starve in the wilderness.

They complained to Moses for bringing them into that desert. But God soon assured him that everything would be fine, and to trust in Him. The people would not starve.

God told Moses, "Behold I will rain bread from Heaven for you. Let the people go forth, and gather what is sufficient for every day."

The next morning, something covered the ground around the camp like a frost. When the Israelites saw it, they exclaimed: "Manhu!", which means: "What is this!" For they had never seen anything like it before.

Moses saw that God was keeping His word, and feeding His people. It resembled coriander seed white, and it tasted like flour with honey. Moses answered their question of the strange little objects, "This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat."

The bread was gathered in the morning, as much as would be needed to eat that day, and after the sun grew hot, the excess left behind simply melted away. And so every day, for forty years, all of the Israelites were filled by this delicate and unusual bread. It sustained their entire nation throughout their wanderings in the desert, until at last they reached the borders of the Promised Land.

And for all of that time, the people called this miraculous life saving bread Manna, from what they called it the moment they first saw it: "Manhu!" - "What is this?"