Rape of Midian

And Moses was content to dwell with the man;

and Jethro gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

Zipporah entered the sheep stall where she found Moses setting the broken bone of a young lamb. She watched as he tightened the short loincloth that had slipped below his waist. His muscular bare chest glistened with sweat. She wondered what was causing this tingling sensation that spread throughout her body?

After applying the splint to the lamb’s leg, Moses wiped his brow and sat beside her. "It pleases me you've come to keep me company," he said, swatting at flies. "I have only my scrolls to comfort me during my rest periods."

"I’m not here to keep you company. I come at the bidding of my father who wishes you to join him this evening. He wants to introduce you to his guests who are traders from the land of Moab. They have been in Egypt and are returning to their homes," Zipporah said. She reached for a gourd dipper and poured water over his head, then gently wiped his face with a cloth. Standing close to him, she sensed it was the nearness of her that caused his rapid breathing.

"Are they from the caravan that arrived last night?" Moses asked.

"Yes. The prince of Moab is among them."

"Before I left Egypt a Hebrew shaman told to me a tale about the birth of Moab," Moses said.

"Moab was the grandson of Lot, and the great-great nephew of Abraham."

"Grandson? In the shaman’s story he spoke of Lot as being Moab’s father," Moses said, having second thoughts if he should speak of it. "Your lovely ears might find the story offensive."

"I have read and heard tales told by both men and gods, the worst of which were by the gods themselves. So tell me," Zipporah said inquisitively.

"Then you know of the destruction of the cities, Sodom and Gomorrah?"

"Yes. It is said that Lot and his family once lived in Sodom."

"The shaman told me that before God destroyed those cities by turning them to salt, he sent Lot and his two daughters to the place called Zoar. Once there, they dwelled in a cave in the mountain." Moses paused and cleared his throat. "The oldest daughter told her sister that their father was old, and there were no men to marry them. They decided to get their father drunk on wine so they might sleep with him. Soon both daughters became pregnant and gave birth to sons. The son born to the eldest daughter was named Moab, who is the father of the Moabites to this day. The son born to the youngest daughter was named Benammi, who is the father of the Ammonites to this day." By her smoldering stare, he knew he had made a mistake.

"How can such a contemptible tale be told from the lips of a shaman? " she said, astounded. "Shaman are entrusted to remember people’s history accurately and not fill it with filthy lies."

"How can you be sure it didn’t happen? Such things took place in days gone by, as they still do," Moses said, forgetting he was speaking to her as an equal.

She lifted her head defiantly. "I have often heard travelers telling such tales around their camp fires when they were full of wine. They often speak lies to discredit the tribes and nations they despise. The Hebrews have nothing but contempt for the Moabites and Ammonites. Why that is so I do not know. We are all related by blood."

She watched as Moses wiped perspiration from his face, and wondered what motivated him to tell her such an erotic tale. Did he hope to amuse her or what? She sensed that he had never stopped to question the motive of the shaman who spread the tale through his storytelling.

"I will speak of this no more," he said, reaching for her hand. She snatched it away and refused to look at him. "I did not mean to offend you."

"Never speak of daughters who have lain with their fathers," Zipporah said. "Or sons who have lain with their mothers. I find it disgusting. I will never understand men, not even our forefather, Abraham."

"Why do you say that?"

"Surely you know the story of how Pharaoh took Abraham's first wife to his bed? He did it because Abraham was a coward. He lied when he told the Egyptians his wife was his sister."

"Where did you hear such a tale?" Moses asked incensed.

"From Hebrew scrolls purchased by my father. It is just as loathsome to my ears as the tale of Lot and his daughters," Zipporah said, amused by his discomfort. "If you doubt me, read my father's copy. His library is filled with scrolls he has purchased from many countries. He draws his wisdom from all the worlds’ religions."

Moses grinned sheepishly, knowing he had met his match. After placing the lamb in its stall, he dragged a ram by its horns to the center of the shed and began shearing it.

Zipporah watched as she reflected on his tale of Lot. It was the second time in her life she had a conversation with a man where the fascinating subject of sex was introduced. In her fourteenth year she met the teenaged son of a traveling merchant. Jethro told his family that these dark-skinned peoples called themselves Dravidians, and were from a powerful kingdom far to the east of Midian. She had seen the youth watching her when she served wine to the guests. The contrast of his white teeth and shining black face had fascinated her.

When Zipporah and Leah went to the fields to tend the sheep, he had followed them carrying a small carpet under his arm. He wore a red turban and matching pants made of pure silk. His bare upper body was hard and lean. When he came to the shaded tree where they rested, he bowed and spoke a tongue they did not understand. Zipporah patted the ground, inviting him to sit beside them. Once seated, he unrolled the carpet and spread it across their laps. The green, pink and red silks enhanced the background of the pictorial scene. Zipporah giggled when she saw the head of an elephant attached to a nude male body, seated cross-legged. Its erect organ reminded her of bulls that were ready to mate. Two bare-breasted women in sheer skirts were seated next to the creature. One was holding the creature's organ while the other licked its enormous shaft.

Leah had covered her eyes and turned away, but Zipporah pulled the carpet closer to better study its elaborate details. The young man placed the palms of his hands together and bowed his head, indicating that this was the image of a god. She became so engrossed in the scene she did not notice that the youth was now sitting in front of them with his arms folded, legs crossed, and with his erect organ exposed. He pulled the foreskin back and gestured for them to reenact the scene. She recalled his cries when she jammed her staff between his legs and chased him away. He never returned for his carpet.