Endnote 1 – Moses

Moses evades human vengeance by fleeing to the desert. Although the matter is too complex to pursue here, the bizarre tale of the Bridegroom of Blood (good movie title, that!), Exodus 4:24–26, may well portray God’s vengeance upon Moses for taking the Egyptian’s life. See William H.C. Propp, “That Bloody Bridegroom,” Vetus Testamentum 43 (1993), pp. 495–518, and Exodus 1–18, Anchor Bible series (New York: Doubleday, 1998), pp. 233–241. By popular Jewish tradition, after Moses’ death God’s Special Prosecutor (Hebrew: SŒaµtaµn) indicts Moses for homicide but cannot prove his case; see Louis Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1928), vol. 6, pp. 159–160, and cf. Jude 9.