This is a story about a Biblical character from the Old Testament, Deborah. She was one of the judges of Israel, the only woman judge. The Bible doesn't say a lot about her, other than that she was a prophet, had a lot of wisdom, and she led Israel against their enemies, the Canaanites. If you read Judges, chapter 4, you'll get a more solid view of what the Bibles say about Deborah.
Teresa Pollard explains the theology behind her writings in an Author's Note at the front of the novel.
In this book, Lappidoth (Deborah's husband) is more of a title than a name. Lappidoth means torch or oil lamps, so the writer has placed Barak as her husband, and the two of them make and sell wicks for lamps that are brighter than usual. The priests buy their wicks exclusively because they're so bright.
He is known by Lappidoth when he is selling wicks to priests and others, and as Barak as he begins to be the leader of the Israelite army against the overwhelming forces of Jabin, king of Canaan. Sisera is the Canaanite general.
I enjoy reading Biblical fiction--it gives me more perspectives than I might have otherwise had, and it often helps me understand some of the difficult passages. If you're of the same mind, you just might want to grab this book. It's available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
No comments:
Post a Comment