Navigating Wilderness, Michelle J. Levine

Navigating Wilderness analyzes the Israelites’ wilderness journeys, chronicled in the Books of Exodus and Numbers, through the lens of the foremost thirteenth century Spanish commentator, Ramban/Nachmanides. Ramban’s holistic, integrative study of these narratives from a literary perspective investigates their plot structure, portrayal of the biblical personae, and thematic underpinnings. Against the backdrop of his predecessors’ interpretations, Ramban forges his own interpretative path in his incisive readings of these pivotal stories, eliciting the complex dynamics in the relationship between God, Moses, and the Israelites as they journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai and toward the Land of Canaan. Analyzing the Wilderness Narratives with Ramban’s commentary, this book delineates this commentator’s astute insights into the Israelites’ experiences in their quest for their national destiny.