Who was the wife of moses in book of exodus answers. Moses had one or two wives, depending on how the biblical text is interpreted. The second book of moses, called exodus tells the story of how baby moses was put into a rush basket and set loose into the nile river by his sister miriam to save him from pharoahs edict ordering all hebrew baby boys slain. What isnt immediately obvious in scripture is that moses had two wives and zipporah was the first. He originally had a wife named zipporah who was the daughter of a midianite priest exodus 2. Kirschs book is basically a linebyline reading of exodus.
But others point out that moses married zipporah, the daughter of a priest of midian named reuel, also called jethro exodus 2. Zipporah, wife of moses by marek halter, paperback barnes. He operates from the presumption that the books of the torah were written by several different people over a period of centuries, and, in looking at the text linebyline, attempts to resolve certain contradictions that he sees in that book s portrayal of moses. The cushite wife appears some years later in moses story, during the wandering in the desert you can read about the dispute between miriam, aaron and the cushite wife at miriams story. Moses first wife was zipporah, the daughter of jethro also known as reuel a midianite priest with whom moses found refuge after fleeing from egypt exo. Below, peter machinist explores the story of moses, the exodus hero, in. Book of jasher, chapter 73 internet sacred text archive. But michelle moses, his wife of 9 years, says the track and field star has been running around behind her back so, she filed divorce docs citing adultery and cruel treatment.
Zipporah is the heroine of a bizarre incident that takes place as moses heads back to egypt with his wife and sons exod 4. Jan 02, 2020 wife is singular, and there is no mention of any other wife or wives that moses had. This is actually a topic that is debated often, but scripture is clear that moses married two different women from two different lineages. Jethro, moses fatherinlaw, came into the wilderness where moses was encamped at the mountain of god, bringing moses sons and wife to him. Moses and his wife are traveling to egypt because god had told moses to bring the israelites out of bondage exodus 3. Jethro, the priest of midian, moses fatherinlaw, heard of all that god had done for moses and for israel his people, how the lord had brought israel out of egypt. Now miriam and aaron began to speak against moses on account of the cushite wife whom he had taken, because it was a cushite wife he had taken. This is a term often used in the bible to refer to african nations.
The complaint wasnt that moses had more than one wife but that she was a cushite woman. In the book of chronicles, two of her grandsons are mentioned. Zipporah, wife of moses in the bible, a determined woman. Nov 01, 1998 i was expecting this book to be more or less about moses, and while moses is a main character in this title, i found that chuck was the main character, the audience was the secondary character, the children of israel followed closely behind with moses coming in the rear. Zipporah, wife of moses is bestselling novelist marek halters latest portrait of a noteworthy woman of the. Above moses married his first wife the ethiopian adoniah tharbis, when he was around twentyseven jasher 73. Every now and again someone asks how it could be that moses, the champion of the lord for the chosen people, could have married an ethiopian who was therefore of the descendants. Until this very day, the textwhich is written in hebrewhas been carefully preserved by the jewish people. The most prominent character and unifying voice is that of isaac mccaslin, uncle ike, who will live to be an old man. Dec 03, 2018 moses first wife was zipporah, the daughter of jethro also known as reuel a midianite priest with whom moses found refuge after fleeing from egypt exo. Mosess marriage to jethros daughter, zipporah, and the birth of their first son, gershom, are recorded in exodus 2.
Jul 25, 2006 biblical racism and the story of moses african wife. Yet in the book of numbers mosess sister miriam is upset about his having taken a cushite wife. She and moses have two sons, gershom and eliezer exod 18. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading zipporah, wife of moses. In the book of chronicles, two of her descendants are mentioned. Since the word cushites or ethiopians refers to blackskinned people, it is possible that the word was also applied to the midianites. Moses first took his wife and children from midian to egypt on a donkey. This is a highly plausible explanation, and if this is the case we can see that miriam and aarons problem with moses marriage may have been that he married a nonisraelite. Were moses and zipporah fighting, or did moses send her away for her safety.
The midianites lived in the sinai region and in northern arabia. The daughters inform their father about what occurred and he invites the man of god for a meal. This was a risky journey, which zipporah courageously joined. Tharbis wife of moses my search for the political mary.
Now the sister and brother challenge moses about his wife. They also claim there were two lands named cush in the time of moses. This is a complicated question not superficially, but because it has several levels of understanding what is and isnt jewish which changed over time. Zipporah, wife of moses is bestselling novelist marek halters latest portrait of a noteworthy woman of the bible. Remember that moses was married before god called him. From the internationally bestselling author of sarah comes. A woman ahead of her time, zipporah leaps from the pages of this remarkable novel. Zipporah or tzipora is mentioned in the book of exodus as the wife of moses, and the daughter of reueljethro, the priest and prince of midian. The fifth of the five books of moses, the book of deuteronomy primarily contains moses last will and testament to the children of israel as they are poised to enter the promised land. Moses ends up dwelling with the family and eventually takes as a wife one of the priests daughters named zipporah exodus 2. What are the five books of moses often referred to as torah, especially when in scroll format, the five books of moses are the foundation of judaism. In biblical text, however, moses is also castigated by his brother and sister for marrying a cushite, which is a person from modern day ethiopia.
Midian was a son of abraham and his 3rd wife keturah genesis 25. Go down, moses is a collection of seven related pieces of short fiction by american author william faulkner, sometimes considered a novel. By 1860 he became moses wilhelm shapira, a protestant, a prussian citizen, husband of rosette, father of two daughters and owner of a book and antiquity shop. Later in the book of exodus, there is a strange passage involving zipporah.
Moses ethiopian wife and miriam and aaron spoke against moses because of the ethiopian woman whom he had married. It appears that jealousy of the power and influence of moses was the real cause of their complaint. Did mosess cushite wife legitimize interracial marriage. Praise for sarah, the first book in marek halters canaan trilogy a worthy. Oct 22, 2014 the second book of moses, called exodus tells the story of how baby moses was put into a rush basket and set loose into the nile river by his sister miriam to save him from pharoahs edict ordering all hebrew baby boys slain. The book of leviticus, authored by moses, sets forth rules for the aaronic priests of israel, so that they might be holy and undefiled. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Moses was rescued by pharoahs own daughter who raised him as a prince of egypt. Biblical racism and the story of moses african wife. Now the lord said to moses in midian, go, return to egypt. The lost book of moses biblical archaeology society. The midianites were descendants of abraham through his second wife keturah. Gershoms name was a reminder that moses was a foreigner and living among foreigners. Sep 04, 2016 but michelle moses, his wife of 9 years, says the track and field star has been running around behind her back so, she filed divorce docs citing adultery and cruel treatment. The name of the wife of moses is zipporah, she was the daughter of jethro. In his enjoyable but uneven second installment in the canaan trilogy sarah, halter takes his cue from the biblical story of moses to imagine. He sent word to moses, i, your fatherinlaw jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons. Moses adoptive grandfather was pharaoh osirtasin i sesostris, herodotus, 2.
Zipporah, wife of moses by marek halter books on tape. He is also an important prophet in christianity, islam, the bahai faith, and a number of other abrahamic religions. And miriam miriam seems to be first named, because she was the first mover of the sedition. The untold story of zipporah, wife of moses what do you. Jan 02, 2020 gershoms name was a reminder that moses was a foreigner and living among foreigners. When god reveals himself to moses in a burning bush, his words echo zipporahs, and moses returns to egypt with his passionate and generous wife by his side. He operates from the presumption that the books of the torah were written by several different people over a period of centuries, and, in looking at the text linebyline, attempts to resolve certain contradictions that he sees in that books portrayal of moses. Zipporah may still be alive at this time, since it was common for highstatus hebrew men to have more than wife. Zipporah, wife of moses by marek halter reading guide. Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter zipporah to moses in marriage. Zipporah, wife of moses by marek halter, paperback. Some think moses married a woman of a different race than he was.
To begin with, who is and isnt jewish at least initially, was open to interpretation. When she said, bridegroom of blood, she was referring to the circumcision. In 1856 moses shapira, a polishborn jew and a recent convert to christianity, arrived in jerusalem and joined the anglican community of jewish converts at christ church, near jaffa gate. The ethiopian either, 1st, zipporah, who is here called an ethiopian, in the hebrew, a cushite, because she was a midianite. In a spectacular feat of imagination, halter has breathed new life into this littleknown, though influential, old testament figure. If so, how might that explain zipporahs minor role in the recorded bible. After moses had sent back his wife zipporah, his fatherinlaw jethro had received her, joshua 5. Zipporah wasnt an israelite, and may have even been a cushite, but at that time, israel wasnt really a nation as much as they were a slavelabor force. Mar 05, 2014 zipporah, moses wife, was a midianite woman.
It seems on pages 120121 that moses would be quite content to be a shepherd in midian with zipporah as his wife, but zipporah sees something more in his destiny. Although she is a cushite by birthone of the people of the lands to the southzipporah grew up as the beloved daughter of jethro, high priest and sage of the midianites. A hebrew raised in the house of the egyptian pharaoh, moses is a fugitive, forced to. The story of mosess cushite wife is actually quite cryptic.
Shebuel, son of gershom, and rehabiah, son of eliezer. Moses our teacher, is the most important prophet in judaism. On the way to egypt, zipporah circumcised their son and thus saved her husbands lifemoses had neglected to obey the lord in this matter, and the lord would have killed moses had not zipporah intervened exodus 4. The midianites were descendants of abraham through his wife keturah genesis 25. On the way to egypt, zipporah circumcised their son and thus saved her husbands life moses had neglected to obey the lord in this matter, and the lord would have killed moses had not zipporah intervened exodus 4. So moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of egypt. New american standard version 1995 and moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of egypt. Now jethro, moses fatherinlaw, had taken zipporah, moses wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. Those who support the one wife theory believe zipporah and the cushite. Shebuel, son of gershom, and rehabiah, son of eliezer 1 chronicles 23.
On their way, at a night encampment, the lord met him moses and tried to kill him exod 4. I was expecting this book to be more or less about moses, and while moses is a main character in this title, i found that chuck was the main character, the audience was the secondary character, the children of israel followed closely behind with moses coming in the rear. They follow this up, with a challenge to his leadership. In the time of the pharaoh, a tiny infant is rescued from. Aug 26, 2016 in 1856 moses shapira, a polishborn jew and a recent convert to christianity, arrived in jerusalem and joined the anglican community of jewish converts at christ church, near jaffa gate. The rabbis explain that moses never wanted to part from zipporah and sent her to her fathers house in midian only for fear that the egyptian. Then at the age of sixtysix he went to the land of midian and married zipporah the midianite. It is possible that zipporah, moses wife, could have died by this point in the exodus story and that moses married another woman who happened to be of ethiopian heritage. After being instructed by god to return to egypt and free the israelites, in exodus 4. The book of moses greatly increases our understanding of enochs life, ministry, and teachings. From the internationally bestselling author of sarah comes the riveting story of the remarkable woman who walked beside moses. We can prove that by tracing their lineages in scripture. After a book and a half of rules, were back to desert drama.
Later, zipporah had another son named eliezer exodus 18. Moses stands up for the virgins and chases away the rude and unkind shepherds. Moses story is told in the book of exodus, but it starts in genesis with the story of abraham and his family with whom god makes a covenant. In the biblical narrative he was the leader of the israelites and lawgiver, to whom the authorship of. Moses was aware of zipporahs qualities and therefore took her for a wife.
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