Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Joseph Roberts <josephroberts3 AT gmail.com>]

If we ignore religious notions and dogma, linguistically does his interpretation have standing?

-Joseph Roberts

Hello Joseph,

 

I disagree with B. Tsadaka on the issue of Mosheh merely having one wife, but with this being stated, let us discuss the term "Kushiyt". A lot of people think this term means that Mosheh's wife was "black", but this is an outdated thought, which really never had any backing from the Torah. The term "Kushiyt" would refer to anyone who was a descendant of Kush, to which even Nim'rod the ruler of Babel was.

 

Historically the list of Kush's descendants refers to peoples living in what we refer to as Turkey and India today, not peoples in Africa.

 

I think the issue of her being "Kushiyt" had nothing to do with her being "black", but with her being of a different culture than them. Mosheh was being chastised for marrying a non-Yisraeli woman, and that chastisement was not welcomed by the Deity. I think this is used to serve as a lesson to our people, but that is not a linguistic discussion, but a religious discussion and not one for this forum.

 

Blessings,

 

Yohanan bin-Dawidh