The Priest of Midian — John L. Cowart

At the urging of his grandmother, Jethro travels to Jericho to become the apprentice of Ahaz, a priest at the temple of Baal, and begins his studies in the craft of priesthood. Priests exercise great influence over the affairs of state. They are emissaries between the people and the gods, they are military leaders, and they are counsels to the king.

Jericho is a small kingdom pressed on all sides by the world powers of its day. The Midianites and the Philistines strive to exert their influence over the land, and Jethro under the guidance of Ahaz works to develop a foreign policy that will bring Jericho into a protective alliance against these two formidable enemies. A leader in battle, he humiliates his foes; and a leader in diplomacy, he forms a bond with the Kingdom of Bethel when he arranges a marriage between Ruth, his sister, and Daniel, the son of Jonathan, the ambassador from Bethel.

Jethro rises to great heights, but he can never win the approval of his tyrannical father who resembles the abusive attributes of Baal, the god he has sworn to serve. Unwilling to conform to tradition, Jethro struggles to discover the truth. This struggle plunges him from the heights, but wins his freedom and peace.