Anna Karenina: Part 7, Chapter 10

David Slays Goliath, by Gustave Dore

In Part 7, Chapter 10 of Anna Karenina, Konstantin Levin and Stephan Arkadyevich pay a visit to Anna at her Moscow apartment. In the study they are greeted by Anna and introduced to another guest named Vorkuev. Levin admires a portrait of Anna and which was painted in Italy. They all engage in a discussion of the current trend in art. Levin is impressed with Anna and her opinion of realism.

The conversation turned on the new movement in art, on the new illustrations of the Bible by a French artist. Vorkuyev attacked the artist for a realism carried to the point of coarseness. Levin said that the French had carried conventionality in art further than anyone, and that consequently they see a great merit in the return to realism. In the very fact that they do not lie they see poetry. Never had anything clever said by Levin given him so much pleasure as this remark. Anna's face lighted up at one, as at once she appreciated the thought. She laughed.

"I laugh," she said. "as one laughs when one sees a very striking likeness. What you said so perfectly describes French art now, painting and literature too, indeed -- Zola, Daudet. But perhaps it is always so, than men form their conceptions from imaginary, conventional types, and then -- all the combinations made -- they are tired of the imaginary figures and begin to invent more natural, true figures."

 * * * * * 

 illustrations of the Bible by a French artist

According to the footnote in my Modern Library Classics edition, the French artist referred to in this scene is Gustave Dore. He was commissioned to illustrate an English Bible in 1853. The following are some examples of Dore's depictions of biblical scenes.

Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Fiery Furnace

Sodom

The Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones

Samson and Deliah

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel

Ruth and Boaz

Jesus

Anna Karenina: Part 7, Chapter 9

The Wedding, Marc Chagall 

In part 7, chapter 9 of Anna Karenina, Levin and Stephan Arkadyevich converse about Anna while en route to her apartment in Moscow.

Stephan Arkadyevich pursued, "I don't hesistate to say that she's a remarkable woman. But you will see. Her position is very painful, especially now."

"Why especially now?"

"We are carrying on negotiations with her husband about a divorce. And he's agreed; but there are difficulties in regard to the son, and the business, which ought to have been arranged long ago, has been dragging on for three months now. As soon as the divorce is over, she will marry Vronsky. How stupid that old ceremony is, walking round and round and singing Rejoice, O Isaiah! that no one believes in and that stands in the way of happiness of people," Stephan Arkadyevich put in. "Well, then their situation will be as regular as mine, and yours."

* * * * *

Rejoice, O Isaiah! 

This is a reference to part of an Orthodox Christian wedding ceremony.

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ( Isaiah 7:14)

The Wedding, Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky

Marriage becomes more than a mere human institution, existing for whatever purpose a society assigns it. It becomes, like the Church Herself, a sign that God's Kingdom has already begun in our midst . . .
 

. . . [There is a] triple procession around the center table: the "Dance of Isaiah". The priest, holding the Gospel or Blessing Cross and the clasped hands of the groom and bride, and followed by the best man (or woman) who holds the newlyweds' crowns above their heads, and the bridesmaids holding the lit white candles, walk three counterclockwise turns around the table in a celebratory "dance". Each of the three turns is accompanied by each of the three hymns, which return once more to the theme of martyrdom and union with Christ. These are the hymns that, since ancient times, the Church has used to emphasize God's blessings, and the same ones sung at ordinations to ecclesiastical orders. They signify that this couple has been set apart from the mundane world to live a life in Christ:

Rejoice, O Isaiah! The Virgin is with child,

And shall bear a son Emmanuel,

Both God and Man,

And Orient is His Name,

Whom magnifying we call, the Virgin blessed.

O Holy Martyrs,

who fought the good fight and have received your crowns,

Entreat ye the Lord,

That He will have mercy on our souls.

Glory to Thee, O Christ our God,

The Apostles boast,

The Martyrs Joy,

whose preaching was the Consubstantial Trinity. 

(Wikipedia)

Though Stephan Arkadyevich mocks this event by referring it as a "stupid old ceremony." It is the very sacredness of this moment that Tolstoy holds up as ideal. The scene is described in detail earlier in the novel during the wedding of Levin and Kitty. It is a moment of great joy and community participation.

They enjoyed hearing the Epistle read, and the roll of the protodeacon’s voice at the last verse, awaited with such impatience by the outside public. They enjoyed drinking out of the shallow cup of warm red wine and water, and they were still more pleased when the priest, flinging back his stole and taking both their hands in his, led them round the lectern to the accompaniment of bass voices chanting: “Isaiah rejoice!” Shcherbatsky and Chirikov, supporting the crowns and stumbling over the bride’s train, smiling too and seeming delighted at something, were at one moment left behind, at the next treading on the bridal pair as the priest came to a halt. The spark of joy kindled in Kitty seemed to have infected everyone in the church. It seemed to Levin that the priest and the deacon too wanted to smile, just as he did.

 In contrast, Anna is now experiencing loneliness and despair as a result of violating her marriage vows.

The following is a clip of an Orthodox wedding procession. Notice the similarities to the wedding Tolstoy describes above. This modern couple could be Kitty and Levin. I love how, while sipping the wine, the bride beams at the priest before he leads the couple around the lecturn.  Hear the congregation sing, "Rejoice, O Isaiah!" 

(Start at 2:55)

Anna Karenina: Part V, Chaper 27

Doing the Lessons, Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky

Anna's son Seryozha ponders death while his father drills him in a Bible lesson on the Old Testament patriarchs:

In death, of which they talked to him so often, Seryozha disbelieved entirely. He did not believe that those he loved could die -- above all, that he himself would die. That was to him something utterly inconceivable and impossible. But he had been told that all men die; he had asked people, those whom he trusted, and they too had confirmed it; his old nurse, too, said the same, though reluctantly. But Enoch had not died, and so it followed that not everyone did die. "And why cannot anyone else so serve God and be taken alive to heaven? thought Seryozha. Bad people, that is, those Seryozha did not like, they might die, but the good might all be like Enoch.

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And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Genesis 5:24 

*All Scripture quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

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Anna Karenina: Part V, Chapter 25

Christ and the Woman taken in Adultery, Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Several weeks have passed since Anna Karenina left her husband for Count Vronsky. She has begun to deeply miss her son, Seroyzha. She hopes her husband, Aleksey Aleksandrovich Karenin, will permit her to have access to him. She has sent a letter of appeal to the Countess Lydia Ivanovna, who is now managing all of Karenin's household affairs.

After some words of preparation, Countess Lydia Ivanovna, breathing hard and flushing crimson, put into Aleksey Aleksandrovich's hands the letter she had received.

After reading the letter, he sat a long while in silence.

"I don't think I have the right to refuse her," he said, timidly raising his eyes.

"Dear friend, you never see evil in anyone!"

"On the contrary, I see that all is evil. But whether it is fair --"
His face showed irresolution, was seeking counsel, support, and guidance in a matter he did not understand.

"No," Countess Lydia Ivanovna interrupted him, "there are limits to everything. I can understand immorality," she said, not quite truthfully, since she never could understand that which leads women to immorality, "but I can't understand cruelty, and to whom? To you! How can she stay in the town where you are? No, the longer one lives, the more one learns. And I'm learning to understand your loftiness and her baseness."

"Who is to throw a stone?" said Aleksey Aleksandrovich, unmistakably pleased with the part he had to play. "I have forgiven all, and so I cannot deprive her of what is exacted by love in her -- by her love for her son . . ."

"But what is love, my friend? Is it sincere? Admitting that you have forgiven -- that you forgive -- have we the right to work on the feelings of that angel? He looks on her as dead. He prays for her, and beseeches God to have mercy on her sins. And it is better so. But now what will he think?

"I had not thought of that," said Aleksey Aleksandrovich, evidently agreeing.

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 "Who is to throw a stone?" 

³ And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

⁴ They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

⁵ Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

⁶ This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

⁷ So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

⁸ And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

⁹ And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

¹⁰ When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

¹¹ She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

John 8:3-11

*All Scripture quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

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Anna Karenina: Part V, Chapter 24

Portrait of a Priest and a Deacon, Boris Kustodiev

After his wife left him, Aleksey Aleksandrovich Karenin went through a deep emotional valley. He felt scorned and ostracized by society. Now that he has found faith, his perspective has changed.

Aleksey Aleksandrovich did not merely fail to observe his hopeless position in the official world, he was not merely free from anxiety, he was positively more satisfied than ever with his own activity.

"He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife," says the Apostle Paul, and Aleksey Aleksandrovich, who was now guided in every action by Scripture, often recalled this text. It seemed to him that ever since he had been left without a wife he had in these very projects of reform been serving the Lord more zealously than before.

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"He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife

³² But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

³³ But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

³⁴ There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

 I Corinthians 7:32-34

*All Scripture quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

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Anna Karenina: Part V, Chapter 23

Seated Woman (Olga), Pablo Picasso

The news that Anna Karenina has left her husband, Aleksey Aleksandrovich Karenin, and is now living with Count Vronsky is now commonly known. The pair have spent a "honeymoon" in Italy and are passing through Petersburg. Anna has begun to deeply miss her son, Seroyzha. In hopes of being granted permission to visit him, see sends a letter of appeal to Karenin's close friend, The Countess Lydia Ivanovna, who is now managing all of Karenin's household affairs.

"Madame La Comtesse --

The Christian feelings with which your heart is filled give me the, I feel, unpardonable boldness to write to you. I am miserable at being separated from my son. I entreat permission to see him once before my departure. Forgive me for recalling myself to your memory. I apply to you and not to Aleksey Aleksandrovich simply because I do not wish to cause that generous man to suffer in remembering me. Knowing your friendship for him, I know you will understand me. Could you send Seryozha to me, or should I come to the house at some fixed hour, or will you let me know when and where I could see him away from home? I do not anticipate a refusal, knowing the magnanimity of him with whom it rests. You cannot conceive the craving I have to see my son, and so cannot conceive the gratitude your help will arouse in me.
                                                                                                                               Anna "                                                                                                                            

Everything in this letter exasperated Countess Lydia Ivanovna; its contents and the allusion to magnanimity, and especially what seemed to her its free and easy tone.

"Say that there is no answer," said Countess Lydia Ivanovna, and immediately opening her blotting pad, she wrote to Aleksey Alexandrovich that she hoped to see him at one o'clock at the levee.

"I must talk with you of a grave and painful subject. There we will arrange where to meet. Best of all at my house, where I will have your tea ready. Urgent. He sends a cross, but He sends the strength to bear it. " she added, so as to prepare him somewhat.

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He sends a cross, but He sends the strength to bear it.

The Countess Lydia Ivanovna misuses Scripture here. She hopes to ease Karenin's conscience and conform his thoughts to her own agenda. She desires that Seryozha should never see his mother again.

The idea of "bearing one's cross" come from the Gospel of Luke.

²³ And [Jesus] said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:23-24

The promise that God will not put on us more than we can bear is from 1 Corinthians.

¹³ There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

*All Scripture quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

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Anna Karenina: Part V, Chapter 22

Girl with Washed Linen on the Yoke, Ivan Kramskoy

In Part V, Chapter 22 of Anna Karenina, Alesky Aleksandrovich Karenin is alone and in despair. His wife Anna has left him for Count Vronsky, a military officer. He feels he can not endure the "weight of universal contempt and exasperation" which he sees in the faces of all he meets. At his most bitter moment, his friend the Countess Lydia Ivanovna comes to him. The warmth of her affection causes Karenin to break down.

"Dear friend!" she said in a voice breaking with emotion. "You must not give way to grief. Your sorrow is great, but you must find consolation."

"I am crushed, I am annihilated, I am no longer a man!" said Aleksey Aleksandrovich, . . . gazing into her brimming eyes. "My position is so awful because I can nowhere find support, not even in myself."

"You will find support; seek it -- not in me, though I beseech you to believe in my friendship," she said, with a sigh. "Our support is love, that He has vouchsafed us. His burden is light," she said, with the look of ecstasy Aleksey Aleksandrovich knew so well.

"He will be you support and your succor."

 Though it seemed evident that she was moved by her own lofty sentiments, and by that new mystical fervor which had lately gained ground in Petersburg, and which seemed to Alekesey Aleksandrovich excessive, still it was gratifying to hear this now. 

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Our support is love, that He has vouchsafed us.

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39

His burden is light

²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30 

*All Scripture quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

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Anna Karenina: Part V, Chapter 11

Pilate Washes His Hands, Duccio di Buoninsegna

In Part V, Chapter 11 of Anna Karenina, Anna is admiring a painting of Christ standing before Pilate by a painter named Mikhailov. (Mikhailov later paints Anna's portrait.)

"How marvelous Christ's expression is!" said Anna. Of all she saw she liked that expression most of all, and felt that it was the center of the picture, and so praise of it would be pleasant to the artist. "One can see that He is pitying Pilate."

This again was one of the million true reflections that could be found in his picture and in the figure of Christ. She said that He was pitying Pilate. In Christ's expression of love, of heavenly peace, of readiness for death, and a sense of the vanity of words. Of course there is the expression of an official in Pilate and of pity in Christ, seeing that one is the incarnation of the fleshly and the other of the spiritual life. All this and much more flashed into Mikhailov's thoughts.

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...Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?³⁴ Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?³⁵ Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?³⁶ Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.³⁷ Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.³⁸ Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.

John 18:33-38 

...what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.²¹ For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:²² Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:²³ Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:²⁴ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1 Peter 2:20-24 

*All Scripture quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

(Source: BibleGateway. Image Source: WikiPaintings)

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Anna Karenina: Part V, Chapter 9

Quod Est Veritas?, Nikolai Ge, Russian realist

In Part V, Chapter 9 of Anna Karenina Anna and Vronsky are living together in an "old neglected palazzo" in Italy. It is morning and they have received a visitor. It is Vronsky's friend, Golenishchev.

"Here we live and know nothing of what's going on," Vronsky said to Golenishchev as he came to see him one morning. 

"Have you seen Mikhailov's picture?" he said, handing him a Russian paper he had received that morning . . .

"I've seen it," answered Golenishchev. "Of course, he's not without talent, but it's all in a wrong direction. It's all the Ivanov-Strauss-Renan attitude of Christ and to religious painting."

"What is the subject of the picture?" asked Anna.

"Christ before Pilate. Christ is represented as a Jew with all the realism of the new school."

And the question of the subject of the picture having brought him to one of his favorite theories, Golenishchev launched forth into a disquisition on it.

"I can't understand how they can fall into such a gross mistake. Christ always has his definite embodiment in the art of the great masters. And therefore, if they want to depict not God but a  revolutionist or a sage, let them take from history a Socrates, a Franklin, a Charlotte Corday, but not Christ. They take the very figure which cannot be taken for their art . . ."

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Christ before Pilate

This refers to when Christ stood before Pontius Pilate the Roman Prefect who sentenced Him to execution by crucifixion.

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Matthew 27:1-2 

The story of the crucifixion of Jesus is found in all four Gospels:

Matthew 27

Mark 15

Luke 23 

John 18-19 

Head of a Man, Aleksandr, Ivanov, realist painter mentioned in Anna Karenina

They take the very figure which cannot be taken for their art.

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

I Corinthians 10:14 

This part of the passage was confusing to me. I did not understand what was behind Golenishchev's argument. Orthodox Christians use icons, so why would one be offended by a realistic painting of Jesus? I tried to search this online from multiple angles. Sometimes, friends, the search engines fail me and there is no book on my shelf to meet the need.

Last night I thought of my friend Will, who is an Orthodox Christian. He lives several states away. I sent him a private message via Facebook. He replied within minutes. I asked him if he understood what this quote implied. He very kindly took the time to type out the following message from his phone:

I think this is the difference between the "iconic" view and the "artistic" view, in which icons intentionally try to allow the viewer to see the reflective and unreal nature of art...

Icons show the reality of the persons themselves, "circumscribing" and commemorating the incarnation, but, by their "unrealism", they point away from themselves and try to maintain the role given to them by the Church - a language for communicating the Gospel, and not as a "real representation", which might lead the viewer to idolatry.

If someone looks at an icon and thinks, "That is Christ", then it is very easy to think that "The Icon is Christ." Icons are nothing on their own, only significant because of the reality they point toward.

In this quote [from Anna Karenina], I think you see the strong Eastern dislike for the "Idolization" of Western art, which necessarily leads to a reaction, iconoclasm, which is the realization that the art is not what it represents.

After the representation has been taken to be "the thing in itself", it leads to a hatred of that deceitful "thing". This is the opposite of what icons are supposed to do!

Will's insight has whetted my appetite to learn more about the difference between these two views. He wrapped up our conversation with this blessing:

God bless as you wrap your brain around the 7th Council and a very "Unwestern" way of looking at images!

Blessings to all!  Have a great Sunday!

*All Scripture quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

(Source: BibleGateway. Image Source: WikiPaintings)

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Anna Karenina: Part V, Chapter 6

Grandfather Stories, Konstantin Makovsky

The wedding of Kitty and Levin in  Part V, Chapters 4, 5, and 6  of  Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is a gold mine of Scriptural references.  This is the ninth post I've written about it.  Today I'm wrapping up the ceremony with the final part of their marriage prayer and blessing. The following quote is from Part V, Chapter 6. Let's take a look at the purple highlighted section.

They prayed:

'Endow them with continence and fruitfulness, and vouchsafe that their hearts may rejoice looking upon their sons and daughters.'

They alluded to God's creation of a wife from Adam's rib, 'and for this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh,' and that 'this is a great mystery'; they prayed that God would make them fruitful and bless them, like Isaac and Rebecca, Joseph, Moses and Zipporah, and that they might look upon their children's children. 'It's all beautiful,' thought Kitty, catching her words, 'just as it should be,' and a smile of happiness, unconsciously reflected in everyone who looked at her, beamed on her radiant face.

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 they might look upon their children's children.

Psalm 103:17 

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children . . .

 Psalm 128:6
Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

Proverbs 17:6 

Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

This post wraps up the wedding of Kitty and Levin, but it does not wrap up Anna Karenina!  There is  much more Biblical goodness to come.

Starting today you will be able to find old "Classics and the Bible Sundays" posts  at the Classics and the Bible blog! Each new post will debut here at Classical Quest on Sundays as usual, but I will no longer archive them here.  I hope the new site will be a helpful resource for both students of the classics and students of the Bible. 

*All Scripture quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

(Source: BibleGateway. Image Source: WikiPaintings)

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Anna Karenina: Part V, Chapter 6

Joseph and His Brethren Welcomed, James Tissot

This week's passage is found in Part V, Chapter 6 of Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. I've divided it into three posts. Today I'll cover the portions highlighted in green, and blue. In last Sunday's post I covered the red, orange and yellow sections.

We are nearing the end of the wedding ceremony of Levin and Kitty. They've plighted their troth to one another, and now it is time for the final prayer.

They prayed:

'Endow them with continence and fruitfulness, and vouchsafe that their hearts may rejoice looking upon their sons and daughters.'

They alluded to God's creation of a wife from Adam's rib, 'and for this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh,' and that 'this is a great mystery'; they prayed that God would make them fruitful and bless them, like Isaac and Rebecca, Joseph, Moses and Zipporah, and that they might look upon their children's children. 'It's all beautiful,' thought Kitty, catching her words, 'just as it should be,' and a smile of happiness, unconsciously reflected in everyone who looked at her, beamed on her radiant face.

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 Joseph

Genesis 37, Genesis 40-50
This is referring to Joseph from the Old Testament. He was the favored son of Jacob. His older brothers sold him into slavery because they were jealous of him. Later, through a miraculous series of events, he rose to become a powerful ruler in Egypt -- second only to Pharaoh. In one of the Bible's most ironic twists, Joseph's treacherous brothers ended up showing him obeisance. His story is significant to all of the Abrahamic religions because it "connects the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan to the subsequent story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt." source


Moses and Zipporah

Exodus 2
Moses was born a slave in Egypt yet became a prince when he was adopted by Pharoah's daughter. He met Zipporah, his wife, while hiding out in Midian after he killed an Eygptian (whom Moses witnessed brutally striking a Hebrew). Zipporah was the daughter of Jethro, a Midianite priest.

Moses is also an important character in Abrahamic religions.

He was a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed . . . he is the most important prophet in Judaism, and is also considered an important prophet in Christianity and Islam, as well as a number of other faiths. source

The complete story of Moses is found in four books of the Bible: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Moses is accredited with transcribing the first five books which are known as the Pentateuch or the Torah (Hebrew Scripture).

Next week I'll wrap up this passage with some links to Scripture which refer to the blessing of children.

Blessings to all! Have a great Sunday!

*All Scripture quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

(Source: BibleGateway. Image Source: WikiPaintings)

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