MDDM Ch. 7 Jethro's tent

[jbor]

But where does the signification that Thomas, John and Terrance mentioned
about it being a "whorehouse" or a "lewd harem-type scenario" come from? The
story is certainly in the Bible: Jethro had seven daughters (cf. 60.10), and
one of them, Zippo'rah, he gave in marriage to Moses. They had a son called
Gershom, a name which pops up later in the novel in a seemingly unrelated
context. 

The Vroom household certainly resembles a whorehouse, but who is making the
connection between "Jethro's tent" and whorehouse at this point? The writer
of _Exodus_? Moses? Some folk saying? Mason &/or Dixon? The narrator?
Pynchon? 

best


davidmmonroe at yahoo.com wrote:

> This seems to have been covered (no puns where none
> intended ...) already, but ...
> 
> --- jbor <jbor at bigpond.com> wrote:
>> 
>> I tend to think that the Jethro's Tent reference
>> might be Biblical rather than bawdy, but maybe
>> there's a folk proverb or idiom? Terrance? Anyway,
>> thanks to all for your thoughts and info. Most
>> helpful.
> 
> See not only, e.g., ...
> 
> http://www.bartleby.com/108/02/2.html
> 
> http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/exodus/exodus2.htm
> 
> http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Bible/Exodus2.html
> 
> http://www.bju.edu/bible/exo/2.html