Anyone who is raised in a predominantly Christian household will be familiar with the great patriarchs of the Bible; Moses, Solomon, Samson, etc. The mythology is filled with the stories of these great men and the trials they went through in the pursuit of their faith. What we don't hear about as much is the strong women of the Bible, the matriarchs who helped pave the way. In her Women of the Bible series Ann Burton attempts to give life to the names we have heard but don't really know. Her novel, about the great Hebrew judge Deborah, is a nice addition to this long-neglected part of the story.
Due to the obvious age of the Biblical reference there is very little known about Deborah. My own knowledge of what is considered historical fact is very sparse. The author places Deborah as a Hebrew slave to a cruel Caananite master who has a deep-seated hatred of the Hebrews. She has been gifted with visions all her life and the other Hebrew slaves are aware of this, though the master is not. When Deborah has a vision involving a Hebrew man who wishes to by stock from her master she is moved to act on it, though it may mean her death. She is secure in the knowledge that her visions are from the one God of the Hebrews and as such she has no choice but to follow where she is led. Though she finds love and freedom from slavery on her journey it is a rocky path and will not be easy. Being the Chosen of God is never an easy path apparently.
I must say that I did enjoy this book. Not being of the Judeo-Christian faith I have a certain amount of sketicism regarding the historical aspects. Being an historian however, I am aware of the dearth of material avaliable for this time period. The author has created a believable world in the middle of the Isreali desert and seems knowledgable about the cultures and mores. Hebrew faith and culture is one of my fascinations so I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though I didn't expect to. It doesn't hammer you to accept the faith, it only asks you to believe that some people may have a higher calling, accepted or not.
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Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Signet (August 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 0451219139
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