The Bridegroom of Blood: a Structuralist Analysis

Abstract

This article examines one of the most enigmatic, if brief, texts in the biblical canon. It addresses several related questions or problems raised by the text. Who is circum cised? Why would God wish to kill Moses after sending him on a mission? And, why is it that Zipporah rather than Moses performs the operation? The article answers these questions through discussing them in the context of the Moses saga as a whole, and in terms of broader Hebrew structural patterns. The analysis focuses on the mechanisms of transformation developed, especially on that of inversion. It argues that all of the key mythemes, especially those in respect to women, are inverted, thereby clouding the structure of the text and creating the enigmas found in the narrative level. It also suggests that this inversion is related to the reversal of genealogical roles between Moses and Aaron.