Miriam the prophetess

Miriam the prophet, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her. When God later lists who brought Israel out of Egypt, he names three — Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Three names, no hierarchy.

Exodus 15 hands Miriam the first hymn in the Bible immediately after the Red Sea crossing, sung by a woman leading other women. The label prophet (נְבִיאָה, neviah) is applied to her before any of the classical writing prophets. Centuries later, when Micah 6:4 recounts how God delivered Israel, the voice of God names three liberators — "I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam" — without qualification or ranking. Numbers 12 later records God rebuking Aaron and Miriam for challenging Moses, but preserves the baseline fact that God speaks directly with her.