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A review by ashleysilver7
Zipporah, Wife of Moses by Marek Halter
3.0
What an interesting perspective - I would have given this book 4 stars, but I felt the author could have been a little more thorough, or perhaps included more of the biblical perspective in Zipporah's story. However, this book is strictly about Zipporah, so I understand why Halter did what he did...it just felt like there could have been more to her story...
So, basically we know very little about Zipporah from the Bible. Sadly, the Holy Bible does not tell us much about women, which is a tragedy in and of itself. However, she must have been worth mentioning, or else she would not have been put in the Bible at all. She was a "Cushite", which apparently means she had black skin. Not surprisingly, the Hebrews (at least Aaron and Miriam, as well as some of the elders) are portrayed as racist and xenophobic. If one really thinks about it, that description is probably accurate. The text of the Bible talks about the Hebrews being "chosen" by God, and only certain people were chosen...God's love (or more specifically, Yahweh) was not for ALL, but for the people of Israel, namely Abraham and Jacob's descendants. Even Jesus, when he first came to save the world, told a Gentile woman that he didn't come for her, he came for the Jews. She told Jesus she would be willing for "the scraps from the table" (using an interesting metaphor), and Jesus healed her on account of her faith. It wasn't until later (after the resurrection, perhaps?) that the message of Jesus was shared for all, not just the Israelites.
Okay, I digress. Zipporah was an outsider her whole life. How (and why?) did she and her mother end up in Midian? This is never really explained. However, we know that her father, Jethro, adopted her and accepted her, even though she was a foreigner and had black skin. However, some of her adopted sisters and other family members did not accept her, either. Such is her life...she was always an outsider and never thought she would find love.
Enter Moses - they were drawn together from the beginning. I loved watching how their love grew, and thoroughly enjoyed the implication that Zipporah pushed Moses to his destiny. Moses, by all accounts, did not seem worthy. It was also interesting how the author implied that Moses's siblings were weary of Zipporah...one can understand a little of where they were coming from, given the time. However, with our 21st century lens, it's hard to imagine such blatant racism and mistrust. After Moses and Zipporah, along with their children, travel to Egypt, her story is basically over. Upon entering Egypt, Zipporah's story is mostly about how the Israelites mistrust her. She leaves Egypt before Moses approaches Pharaoh...we hear about the wonders and plagues performed by Yahweh second hand (word of mouth by merchants).
How I wish Moses would have listened to the wise words of Jethro after escaping Egypt, but alas he didn't. The story ends a little anti-climatically after Moses travels to the top of Mount Horeb (which I believe is another name for Mount Sinai), and the people of Israel, losing faith, make a golden calf. The author's assertion that the people were delirious from hunger was interesting, and more than likely true. It was also interesting hearing Jethro explain why the former slaves were having such a hard time with freedom...it's easy for us to understand their behavior several millennia after the fact; however, I've never heard it quite so well and simply explained. (Well done, Jethro!)
Simply put, Zipporah was a very interesting and intriguing woman who, like too many people, was unfairly judged simply because she had black skin. Moses, Joshua, and Jethro are portrayed in a positive light, as is Moses's birth mother. Most of the other famous biblical characters are portrayed badly, but there is truth where they are concerned. If you enjoy historical fiction, or like reading stories from the Bible (and don't mind if they don't support what you've been taught), you will enjoy this book.
So, basically we know very little about Zipporah from the Bible. Sadly, the Holy Bible does not tell us much about women, which is a tragedy in and of itself. However, she must have been worth mentioning, or else she would not have been put in the Bible at all. She was a "Cushite", which apparently means she had black skin. Not surprisingly, the Hebrews (at least Aaron and Miriam, as well as some of the elders) are portrayed as racist and xenophobic. If one really thinks about it, that description is probably accurate. The text of the Bible talks about the Hebrews being "chosen" by God, and only certain people were chosen...God's love (or more specifically, Yahweh) was not for ALL, but for the people of Israel, namely Abraham and Jacob's descendants. Even Jesus, when he first came to save the world, told a Gentile woman that he didn't come for her, he came for the Jews. She told Jesus she would be willing for "the scraps from the table" (using an interesting metaphor), and Jesus healed her on account of her faith. It wasn't until later (after the resurrection, perhaps?) that the message of Jesus was shared for all, not just the Israelites.
Okay, I digress. Zipporah was an outsider her whole life. How (and why?) did she and her mother end up in Midian? This is never really explained. However, we know that her father, Jethro, adopted her and accepted her, even though she was a foreigner and had black skin. However, some of her adopted sisters and other family members did not accept her, either. Such is her life...she was always an outsider and never thought she would find love.
Enter Moses - they were drawn together from the beginning. I loved watching how their love grew, and thoroughly enjoyed the implication that Zipporah pushed Moses to his destiny. Moses, by all accounts, did not seem worthy. It was also interesting how the author implied that Moses's siblings were weary of Zipporah...one can understand a little of where they were coming from, given the time. However, with our 21st century lens, it's hard to imagine such blatant racism and mistrust. After Moses and Zipporah, along with their children, travel to Egypt, her story is basically over. Upon entering Egypt, Zipporah's story is mostly about how the Israelites mistrust her. She leaves Egypt before Moses approaches Pharaoh...we hear about the wonders and plagues performed by Yahweh second hand (word of mouth by merchants).
How I wish Moses would have listened to the wise words of Jethro after escaping Egypt, but alas he didn't. The story ends a little anti-climatically after Moses travels to the top of Mount Horeb (which I believe is another name for Mount Sinai), and the people of Israel, losing faith, make a golden calf. The author's assertion that the people were delirious from hunger was interesting, and more than likely true. It was also interesting hearing Jethro explain why the former slaves were having such a hard time with freedom...it's easy for us to understand their behavior several millennia after the fact; however, I've never heard it quite so well and simply explained. (Well done, Jethro!)
Simply put, Zipporah was a very interesting and intriguing woman who, like too many people, was unfairly judged simply because she had black skin. Moses, Joshua, and Jethro are portrayed in a positive light, as is Moses's birth mother. Most of the other famous biblical characters are portrayed badly, but there is truth where they are concerned. If you enjoy historical fiction, or like reading stories from the Bible (and don't mind if they don't support what you've been taught), you will enjoy this book.