A Silent Unheard Voice In The Old Testament (Research Paper Sample)

Article Review and Analysis: A Silent Unheard Voice in the Old Testament by Adamo
A silent unheard voice in the Old Testament: The Cushite woman whom Moses married in Numbers 12:1-10 is an article by David Adamo. Adamo seeks to answer if the contributions of African women have been ignored in the bible or are their prejudices against African women. To answer this question, the author references the character of African woman, wife of Moses. Adamo critically analyses the story in Numbers 12: 1-10 in the Old Testament by using detailed research of the bible and the Cushite history. Moses's wife was a woman the narrator has failed to give a name, and her direct speech has not been quoted in the bible. Despite being married to an influential and respected leader, there is no account of a direct speech from her. Adamo shows that the Cushite woman is dominant and significant in the narrative, but the question remains, why is she silent, and what does her silence mean? A Silent Unheard Voice in the Old Testament is an article that seeks to unravel the identity of Moses's wife as an African woman, the reasons why Miriam and Aaron objected Moses’s marriage to her, and what that silence means in relation to her culture.
The article's main idea revolves around the Cushite wife of Moses and her identity, as shown in the book of Numbers. According to Adamo, the Hebrew Bible and the culture is male-oriented in subject matter, authorship, and even perspectives. Most women in the bible are unnamed and have unheard voices as they are just a part of someone else stories. Adamo shows that the absence of a name symbolizes the suppression of women in society (3). Anonymity is used as a symbol of unimportance and also lack of personhood. Adamo successfully proves that the author of Numbers 12:1-10 has marginalized the Cushite woman who was wife to Moses, and her voice has been silent through her identity (2).
To achieve his objective, the author starts by defining the term Cushite, Cush, or Cushi, which refers to Africa or Africans. Adamo explains that women in Moses's tradition were mentioned prominently, had critical roles in their home, and were vital in Israel's deliverance. However, Moses's wife only appears in Exodus 2, 4, 18, and Numbers 12:1-10 but not in any relation to Moses in the Jewish context (3). Adamo tries to prove that the silence of the Cushite woman was because she did not speak to any of the characters in Numbers, and they did not speak to her either. Hence, her silence is merely a cultural element.
The most exciting thing about this topic is how the author has handled a topic in the Old Testament that most scholars have ignored, a Cushite woman. Adamo has used a wide range of references to prove that Moses's wife was an African and her silence was not because of racism or inferiority. I chose this article because it seeks to answer a question of identity and the position of African women in the book of Numbers. According to Adamo, the Hebrew culture relegates women to the background, and few prominent details are discussed (5). Moses's wife was present in his life, and she must have contributed to his achievements as a deliverer, law-giver, leader, and prophet. What surprises me is why the author referred to her as a Cushite woman, yet in Exodus, her name is mentioned (6). Interestingly, one of the most outstanding leaders in the Old Testament had married an African woman.
This article has vital implications for the Church in Africa as it is imperative to understand their role in the journey of redemption and deliverance. The author uses logical statements and facts throughout the piece to make his work credible. Some sources are peer-reviewed; hence the information is credible, while others are not. Adamo has made use of many quotes, especially when referencing the bible. Adamo has used much historical data to support his claims by ensuring all main ideas revolve around his thesis.
The author has focused on a critical topic and brought insights about an African woman who participated in the journey of delivering Israelites from Egypt. Though the article has detailed information and references, there is a lot of replicability and generalization. The author has also used foreign languages like Hebrew, causing a language barrier for the audience which do not understand Hebrew. The author has mainly proved that Cushite means African, and Moses's wife was silent because of other reasons but not of cowardice or inferiority. According to Adamo, her culture mandated her to be in the background (5).
Adamo tries to show that there was no prejudice against African women in the Old Testament though there is insufficient evidence to back these claims (6). As Christians, It is imperative to know that Africans are part of the ancient biblical stories. This mea