title: Zipporah, Wife of Moses
author/editor: not given
reviewed by: Frances

Zipporah was an easy read. The story fleshes out a few details about Moses' wife found in the Bible, books of Exodus and Numbers.

However, while Moses is a character in this story, author Marek Halter tells Zipporah's life. Hers includes her love affair with Moses and part of Moses' finding and delivering his calling, too. The tale begins in Midian, before Zipporah meets Moses. She lives near a mountain in the dessert with her adopted father Jethro, sage of the kings of Midian. When Jethro's women first encounter Moses, he has already discovered he is Hebrew, not a son of Pharaoh. Moses is in self- exile after killing an Egyptian guard.

Jethro has an ability to see others' lives as they do not. He also understands his God, Horeb: On page 73, he tells the nature of this God:

"What makes Horeb all-powerful is that he doesn't do what we expect him to do. He surprises us, and, through these surprises, he corrects us, encourages us and shows us the path to follow. Let him surprise you. Have patience…"

Like her father, Zipporah has a similar understanding of God. With it she guides Moses and encourages him to find his power from the Hebrew God. After a few years, Moses does hear his calling: to set his people free. He returns to Egypt to see his dying Egyptian mother, to face Pharaoh, and to lead his people out of slavery. Zipporah's story ends with her death before the slaves are freed.

I learned much Judeo-Christian history embedded in this tale. And, the author also includes cultural details I found interesting. For example, Egyptians were habitually bare-chested and needed to be clean-shaven when they prayed.

I also learned that the tribes of Midian descended from Biblical Abraham's second wife. The Hebrew God (according to Jethro) had gone silent except to show anger. Jethro said this was because His people had so displeased Him.

An interesting interwoven theme was a racial one. Moses was a "White" man and Zipporah was "Black," a "daughter of Cush." This was not a problem to them, but quite a stumbling block to many in Midian and also the community of enslaved Hebrews. I found it interesting to follow the effects of racial judgment on Moses, Zipporah and their two sons.

Frances adds, "I recommend this book!"

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