Moses, Marriage

Ibn Ezra’s Secret of the Priesthood.

Were they racists?

Moses is married to a Kushite woman (Numbers 12:1). While the term Kushite is generally understood as meaning black African, several places in the Bible refer to other locations as Kush, including Midian, the home of Moses’ wife Zipporah.

Miriam and Aaron speak negatively about Moses for marrying a Kushite woman. Does their issue have to do with her skin color? Miriam’s punishment may hold the key.

The Israelite men are commanded to separate from their wives before the revelation at Sinai. The rabbis learn from this that Moses permanently separated from his wife (Num 12), to be available to speak with God at all times. Joseph ibn Kaspi (14th c.), however, claims that this distorts the plain meaning of the text and that celibacy is an affront to Jewish values.

Is Moses raised by an Egyptian princess? Does he kill an Egyptian man? Does he run away to Midian and marry the daughter of a Midianite priest? Not according to P, which cleanses Moses of these problematic elements.