Moses in the Sinai

by Simone Zelitch

Moses in the Sinai rewrites the books of Exodus and Numbers by way of The Arabian Nights, Nikos Kazantzakis, and Cecil B. DeMille. It makes generous use of myth and history, ancient and contemporary. The Hebrews of the novel are a varied mob of outlaws, magicians, sorcerers, aristocrats, and idolators, all content with being slaves. Moses must lead them into the Sinai against their will in the hope of serving a God whose very identity he doubts. The Hebrews of this historical and imaginative novel inhabit a world where children are born in cooking pots, meat rains from the sky, fish talk, and prophecies come true. It is a world where human emotion can take miraculous forms. Moses in the Sinai is full of such miracles.

Genres: Judaism

270 pages, Hardcover

First published December 19, 2001

Reviews

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not intended to be a typical novelization of Scripture; as the author notes "this novel is scripturally accurate only in coincidence with my imagination." But it is close enough to be interesting to people who find Scripture interesting as well as to those who don't. Most of the novel is simliar to how most Americans think of the Bible... yet a bit different. Instead of groaning under Egyptian oppression, the Hebrews are so terrified of the Sinai wilderness that they worship Pharoah and happily comply with an order to kill their baby boys (because they have been told that a baby boy will lead them out of Egypt into this wilderness, where they expect to starve to death). Instead of being a normal person who just happens to hear the voice of God, Moses is a mystic who comes across as a little bit crazy yet just barely sane enough to lead. Miriam is more a supernatural figure than a person. Aaron and (occasionally) the Pharoah are the only real voices of normalcy.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites by Simone Zelitch. The characterization of Moses was great. It made me think of him in a whole new light.