In the Bible, Jethro, aka Reuel or Hobab, was in the Old Testament, a priest of Midian of the Kenite clan, with whom Moses took refuge. The same Hebrew and Greek words can be used for all three relationships through marriage. Combine a one-year tablet and print subscription to BAR with membership in the BAS Library to start your journey into the ancient past today! ,) was a Midianite priest and father-in-law of Moses . For when the whole world heard of the might of the Blessed Holy One, they trembled, and all of them looked toward Jethro, who was wise and the ordained chief of all false gods of the world. [15], Jethro, Moses' non-Hebrew father-in-law, is a central figure, particularly in the rites and pilgrimages, of the Druze religion. One can ony wonder: are we here dealing with two different traditions? ; For most, he is considered to have converted to the Jewish faith. Where the apparent controversy lies is in Exodus 3:1 (ESV): "Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian" A few other instances muddy the water further. Moses Defends Jethro's Daughters is an oil on canvas painting attributed to Italian artist Rosso Fiorentino, created c. 1523-1524, now held in the Uffizi in Florence, which acquired it in 1632. Bodelian Library, Oxford, MS Bodley 2708, Folio 39VA good man? But, asks the midrash, was Jethro motivated by love of God or by fear of a divine force so powerful as to rescue the Israelites from their enemies? Why did you leave him out there? [20][21] Each year on 25 April, the Druze gather at the site in a holiday known as Ziyarat al-Nabi Shuayb to discuss community affairs and commemorate the anniversary of Jethro's death with singing, dancing and feasting. Apparently, Hobab was a common Midianite name, and it was needful to distinguish this particular tribal member from the others sojourning with the nation of Israel. What was the source of the pre-Abrahamic genealogies in the Genesis scrolls? The world of the Bible is knowable. . "[26][27] According to Druze belief, Moses was allowed to wed Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, after helping save his daughters and their flock from competing herdsmen. [16][17] He is called Shuayb and viewed as the most important prophet for the Druze. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Moses protected his seven dauthters. Much more reliable in fact, than most of the manuscripts that we unquestioningly base much of our ancient history on. The reason for the difference is that the Hebrew character (ayin) in is sometimes used merely as a vowel and sometimes as "g", "ug", and "Fxn", because of the difficulty of its pronunciation by European speakers. She observes the daughter of Pharaoh who comes with her maids to bathe in the river. Parashat Shemot names some strong women without whom Moses would not havesurvived. Job 1:2: 'There were born to him [Job] seven sons and three While the Masoretic tradition assumes that they are themselves Hebrew women, this is by no means clear. Moses then took up living in Jethros household and eventually married his daughter Zipporah. 15. And as the music plays, the youngest sister urges him to dance with her. Moses later married Jethro's daughter. Their names are Maia, Elektra, Taigeti, Alcyon, Asterope, Celaeno and Merope. Some believe Midian is within the Sinai Peninsula. Credited in the movie as Babette (her middle name), Bain shared an early scene with Martha Scott -- who played her mother and the mother of the infant Moses (Fraser Heston). The book of the pentaeuch do not fix together and are just written by several authors in and after the Exile. By following God, his simple life has been joyful and fulfilling. In the midrashic literature,a as always, the character, or rather the attitude toward the character, seems more complex. The first is that Reuel is simply another name for Jethro, much like Jacob also being named Israel (both of which were used interchangeably). So we have three names: Reuel, Jethro, and Hobab which all seem to refer to Moses' father-in-law, but becomes confused by the issue of Hobab seeming to be both Moses' father-in-law and the decendent of Reuel who we also posit is Moses' father-in-law! Following this event, it was Jethro who encouraged Moses to appoint others to share in the burden of ministry to the nation Israel by allowing others to help in the judgment of smaller matters coming before him. But the interpretation conflicts both with what the text tells us and with the emotional sense of the piece. In the TV series NCIS, Gibbs' wife Shannon witnessed a murder by a Mexican drug lord. To be sure, Jethro is shown in a positive light. He determined which animals to slaughter and sell. "Ajolidoforah: "Not yet!" Their names are understood as more likely to be Semitic than Egyptian. Tzipporah's sisters are minor characters in The Prince of Egypt. This is a possibility that can be conjoined with the first option (Reuel and Jethro being two names for the same individual). The same support on canvas, never used by the painter before his stay in France, also raises doubts. Moses wasnt even Jewish, but he was Israelite, of which Judahites (later Jews) were a tribe, then more or less a nation (Judah). Moses is said to have worked as a shepherd for Jethro for 40 years before returning to Egypt to lead the Hebrews to Canaan, the "promised land". The scene is essentially tripartite on three levels, but the complexity of the articulation binds the plans with continuous references, subverting the traditional Renaissance balances. Numbers 10:29 says: Now Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses father-in-law, we are setting out for the place. Regarding this verse, it would be proper to put the words the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses father-in-law in parenthesis. The rabbis do not point this out, but I think this is the point of the text. Converted to the Jewish faith!!! The stupefying thing is that Moses accepted! (Photo credit: Wikipedia), As mentioned before, the Awassi sheep are excellent milk producers. Jethro, Yitro, was a spiritual seeker of a universal truth and thus he researched with all forms of religion, wisdom, alchemy/science and was the most curious of men. When we start looking at this kind of answer it may cause us to wonder if the Bible is as accurate as we like to think. Royalty-free Creative Video Editorial . Probably it is Moses himself, again, who would approach Sephora (with her breasts uncovered and the wet-effect dress that adheres to her skin) announcing the expulsion of the shepherds, while other women run away ignoring what has happened. No one would ever accuse him of nepotism. 3One day, Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and Moses decided to lead them across the desert to Sinai,[c] the holy mountain. And when he leaves his father-in-law, along with his wife and children, he puts them on a donkey (Ex 4:20), giving the obvious impression that they were still very young, implying that Moses had not spent many years in Midian. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. He reproves a Hebrew. In the dangerous world of a Pharaoh determined to suppress the Israelite population by killing every male child not only has a baby but hides him for three months, before making a vessel of bulrushes and placing the child in it to be caught in the reeds at the rivers edge. Shifra and Puah disobey the Royal decree, because , the text tells us, they feared/revered God. Odette. The story (and the chapter) ends with Pharoahs decree repeated, but this time he broadens his audience from the midwives to the whole people: And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying: Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive (1:22). On the other hand, this is the Hebrew for "brother-in-law":it sounds like this:n. 11), and "Putiel"; Eleazar's father-in-law (Ex. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them". Shepherdess walking with spindle in hand. COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. When a girl was eight to ten years old, she began leading the family herd out to nearby pasture. Technically a shepherd is different than a sheepherder, although they share some of the same duties. In all seriousness, I thought I had heard that Aaron suggested that Arent there enough of us enslaved already? So Moses sent his family back to Midian. Then the Holy Name was glorified on all sides (The Zohar, by Daniel Matt, vol. One day Jethro was walking home and he was stopped by Mr. Burdow, the father of the boy who killed Jethro's sister. Quote Happily, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Zipporah and other ladies who spun the Awassi fleece had nothing to compare it with. Reuel was his proper name, and is indeed the first (designated) mention of him Exodus 1:18. and strong. One night, Shannon and Kelly were being driven by an NCIS agent responsible for looking after them. Jethro. This is important because the identity of the women as either Hebrew or Egyptian relies on the vocalisation of the letters of the two words . Even when he refuses Moses invitation to stay with him, he has the perfect excuse, says the midrash: I will return to my own people and convert them all to the study of the Torah.. At night the animals were housed in stone-walled pens attached to buildings or compounds, or on the ground floor of houses in the cities,[1] or corralled in thorny, fence-like enclosures typical of nomadic enclosures. (Ex 3:1; Jg 1:16) Jethro is also called Reuel. One of these women will shortly be named as she is given to Moses for a wife Zipporah. Jethro Bodine, character from the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies . Bible Review's Supporting Roles by Elie Wiesel. the book of Job. The seven daughters of Poseidon and Pleione are called the Pleiades. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. At the end of the day, the shepherdess brought her sheep back home. Another interesting fact is that Jethro comes to meet Moses at Sinai bringing him his wife and children. After the Exodus, Jethro visited the Hebrews encamped at the "mountain of God" and brought with him Moses' wife and sons. However, the rabbis BLAME Jethro (and Zipporah in some cases) in the midrash of which Wiesel speaks. Awassi sheep are double-coated with only a thin layer of fleece under an outer coat of coarse hair. Commenting on the size of nomadic herds, Borowski states, Herds can be very large, from 150,000 to 200,000 animals, and they are comprised of one species or are mixed.[5] The young nomadic women worked close to home. There are cases of them even contradicting scripture and they certainly all contradict each other. And Zipporah gives birth to a boy, Gershom, named for Moses alienation: I have been a stranger in a strange land. It seems that Moses does not circumcise his son or bring him into the brit/covenant of Abraham, either because this is unknown to him or because his alienation extends to his relationship with the Israelites. (Jethro) [from a root meaning more than enough; overflow]. Jethro is called a priest of Midian and became father-in-law of Moses after he gave his daughter, Zipporah, in marriage to Moses.He is introduced in Exodus 2:18.. Jethro is recorded as living in Midian, a territory stretching along the eastern edge of the Gulf of Aqaba, northwestern Arabia.Some believe Midian is within the Sinai Peninsula.Biblical maps from antiquity show Midian on both locations. 18 When Jethro's daughters returned home, their father asked, "Why have you come back so early today?" 7. Moses : Drive back your goats until the sheep are watered. Midian = 'strife' ( ref: WebBible Encycl) 7 daughters = the spiritual energies which overcome the lower aspects us. The survival of the Israelite people is dependent on their actions. [12], It became, however, generally accepted that he had seven names: "Reuel", "Jether", "Jethro", "Hobab", "Heber", "Keni" (comp. Is this a way of balancing our understanding of the man? Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."read more. 3This is strange! he said to himself. A vengeful cartel member tracked them down and shot the agent in the head. You can come up with your own. She's spent too long studying the Bible! Let's tackle who Reuel is first. [18][19], Nabi Shuayb is the site recognized by Druze as the tomb of Shuayb. Access to 50+ curated Special Collections. Their names are Ephorah (older), Ajolidoforah (middle), and Jethrodiadah (youngest). On first reading the biblical text, Jethro seems a simple person, almost monolithic, someone who impresses us most as a family man. There is no proof that Yethro was Abrahams descendant. The conception of the painting was certainly influenced by the richess of ideas for the nude moving figures in the cartoon of Michelangelo of the now lost Battle of Cascina, and by the expressive force of the also lost The Battle of Anghiari by Leonardo da Vinci, both destined for the Sala del Maggior Consiglio in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. This early 13th-century illustration from the Bible moralise depicts Jethro (seated under the arch on the right) rewarding Moses (left) for rescuing his daughters (six of whom are pictured in the center) and their flocks from rival shepherds. Moses and Zipporah had a second son in Midian. Each time he married off a daughter, he changed his name and moved to avoid the bill collectors. With no one to take control of the wheel, the vehicle crashed, and both mother and daughter died instantly. . Complementary colors are often juxtaposed and the geometric shapes used in the pictorial surfaces are varied: this contributes to canceling the sense of spatial depth and plasticity of the volumes, in a decidedly anticlassical direction.
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