Katia Arias buzzed with hope on Friday morning as she gathered at the gates of a prison on the outskirts of Havana, waiting with other families for their loved ones to be freed in one of the biggest prison releases by the Cuban government in years.

When her 20-year-old son Emilio Alejandro Leyva walked out of the doors of the detention facility with dozens of other prisoners, bags and a small release document in hand, she wrapped her arms around her son, who was detained for a robbery, for the first time in years.

“It has been so difficult, but today God has given me so much joy,” said Ms. Arias, 43, breaking down in tears. “Today, I feel so happy. This is how all mothers who will have their children released today should feel.”

Arms outstretched, a bearded Moses stands before a parted Red Sea, wooden staff in hand. Sandal-wearing Israelites make their way through a path between the walls of water. An angry Egyptian army follows closely behind.

To most, such a scene quickly comes to mind when they think of the Exodus story. Retellings typically begin with the first chapter of the biblical book that bears that name—around the time when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt and God heard their cries. From there, Moses is born and reared in pharaoh’s palace, he kills an Egyptian and flees, God speaks to him from a burning bush, he returns to Egypt, pharaoh refuses to let Israel go, there are 10 plagues, Israel comes out of the country, they cross a parted Red Sea, and receive the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.

This is all told and retold with varying degrees of detail.