In midst of interesting biblical stories, some remain less explored. Such is the compelling saga of the Daughters of Zelophehad. These five sisters whose courage, faith, and audacious petition for their inheritance forever changed the legal landscape of Tribes of Israel. Join us in this exclusive interview as Barbara M. Britton, the talent behind “Lioness: Mahlah’s Journey”, “Heavenly Lights: Noah’s Journey”, and “Claiming Canaan: Milcah’s Journey”, shares her journey of discovering these remarkable women. From the initial spark of inspiration to meticulous research in the Jezreel Valley, Barbara reveals how she brought Mahlah, Noah, and Milcah to vivid life, crafting tales rich with themes of courage, divine provision, family loyalty, and the unwavering pursuit of God’s promises in a challenging world. Prepare to delve into the heart of biblical fiction, where ancient stories illuminate timeless truths and inspire modern faith.
on Lioness: Mahlah’s Journey:
PBG: In the opening pages, Mahlah’s choices set the tone for the first book in the series. How did you balance personal choices with communal responsibilities?
BMB: The story of the daughters of Zelophehad was a new-to-me story from the Bible. I hadn’t come across the story in my Bible readings. The story of these brave sisters is mostly in the book of Numbers. That’s not a book that I read often.
There are five daughters of Zelophehad, and Mahlah’s name is mentioned first in Scripture. She was likely the oldest sister. Without having the guidance of parents, I have Mahlah take the leadership role in the family. Not only does she have to care for her sisters, she must follow the cultural norms and laws set forth by God. The cultural laws benefitted male children. When Mahlah and her sisters ask to inherit their father’s land, they go against the customs of the day.
PBG: The setting of deserted valleys and bustling market towns frames Mahlah’s inner struggles and growth. Can you share how you used place/setting to mirror her faith journey?
BMB: Mahlah is thrust into a leadership role when her father dies. The Israelites are in a desert and waiting for the assigned time to conquer the land of Canaan promised by God. Mahlah mustered her inner strength to assume the role of head of household. In the beginning, she doubts her standing in the tribes of Israel, but as the story progresses, she finds boldness as she grows in her faith and trust in God.
Toward the end of the book, there is a scene in a marketplace where Mahlah confronts a tribesman who isn’t following the laws of God. The theme of the book is “Go Forth with God” and Mahlah’s strength and trust in God are on full display in a public setting.
PBG: Themes of courage, covenant promises, and intergenerational hope appear early in Lioness. How did you weave these themes into character interactions and plot?
BMB: I was blessed to have a lot of Scripture to work with on the daughters of Zelophehad.
The sisters’ ask to inherit land, and the faithfulness to marry whom God ordained to keep the land with the tribe of Manasseh, are recorded in the Bible. I also had a wonderful villain in Balaam son of Beor. If you read about him in the Old Testament, he may not seem that bad, but he is maligned to the book of Revelation as a wicked sorcerer.
My job as an author is to bring the emotions and personalities of the sisters to the fictional page. I gave each sister a distinct personality and skill to set them apart from each other. I enjoyed writing about these brave sisters.
PBG: Mahlah’s leadership of her four sisters is tested repeatedly. How did you develop her voice as the eldest daughter, particularly in scenes where she confronts elders like Nemuel or comforts her sisters during crises, and what sources (if any) did you use to help you inform her character?
I consulted books on the traits of firstborn children to speak into Mahlah’s personality. I also drew on my emotions of being a mother to give some of those characteristics to Mahlah.
Going into an assembly of male leaders and asking for something that isn’t commonplace, shows the boldness and courage of Zelophehad’s daughters. I can’t imagine doing that without having a strong faith in God and knowledge of His Word.
Deuteronomy 10:18 tells us that God is the father to the fatherless. I’m sure this Scripture was going through the girls’ minds. Moses was still leading the Israelites at the time of the sisters’ bold ask for land, and he of all people would have known God’s heart for orphans.
on Heavenly Lights: Noah’s Journey
PBG: Noah’s role as a shepherdess is portrayed with such vivid detail in the early scenes, blending her practical skills with moments of faith and vulnerability. How did you approach developing her character?
BMB: I tried to make all the sisters unique so readers would not be confused. The five sisters appear in each book of the series. I gave Noah the skill of a shepherdess and a big heart for animals. Noah also shows kindness to her fellow shepherd Jeremiah who doesn’t hear or speak.
Because of her work with animals, Noah is skillful with a whip. She holds her ground working alongside male cousins.
Heavenly Lights picks up after the Israelites cross the Jordan River and settle in Canaan. The fall of Jericho kicks off the book with action. I ask the question, “What did the trembling ground due to herds of animals?” Noah and her kinsmen have their work cut out for them trying to care for spooked animals.
PBG: The relationship between Noah and Jeremiah, particularly in the context of his deafness and muteness, creates unique communication dynamics in the story’s opening chapters. What stylistic choices did you make to convey their growing bond and mutual understanding?
BMB: I live with family members who are hard of hearing and one of my family members became deaf. Communication consisted of writing words on a dry eraser board or acting out words. Technology and talk-to-text transcription make communication easier now. I wondered what people in Bible Times did to communicate with the deaf.
Due to the limitations of Jeremiah, I do have sections in the book where we hop from Noah’s inner thought to Jeremiah’s thoughts.
Noah is beautiful, smart, and compassionate, and Jeremiah loves her for her qualities and huge heart. It takes Noah a while before she realizes how much she cares for Jeremiah.
PBG: Early in the narrative, the setting during the fall of Jericho and the ensuing chaos (like the stampede) intertwines historical biblical events with personal struggles. How did you balance these epic moments with intimate character experiences to emphasize God’s faithfulness amid uncertainty?
BMB: Another theme in this series is how faithful girls act in a faithless world. The daughters of Zelophehad aren’t perfect, but they rely on God to rescue them from difficult circumstances. I had to tackle the betrayal of Achan toward God and the people of Israel in this novel. It was a challenge to have Mahlah detail the punishment of Achan and his family to her younger sisters. I gained a better understanding of the reason for Achan’s punishment by having Mahlah explain what happened to her sister.
PBG: Themes of inheritance and family legacy, tied to the daughters of Zelophehad, weave through the initial plot points. How did you explore these concepts through Noah’s journey?
BMB: Heavenly Lights covers Joshua, chapters five through eight. The Israelites are beginning to conquer Canaan. The land has not been fully conquered, so the daughters of Zelophehad have a promise of land, but they do not become landowners until the next book. The sisters have to trust God and their tribal elders to receive their allotment.
I have Noah and Jeremiah face the tragedy in the battle to conquer a town called Ai. Israelites suffered in their first attempt to siege Ai. The people realized that they needed to follow God’s commands for success. The daughters of Zelophehad remain faithful to God even when situations look bleak.
on Claiming Canaan: Milcah’s Journey
PBG: Milcah’s journey involves navigating her inheritance in a vineyard setting, which serves as both a literal and symbolic landscape. How did you approach weaving themes of stewardship and divine provision into this environment?
BMB: The Bible tells us what land was given to the tribe of Manasseh. The daughters of Zelophehad are part of that tribe. We do not know specifically where the girls’ land was located. I gave them land in the Jezreel Valley near the city of Megiddo. Megiddo was a city where the Israelites killed the king, but they did not wipe out the idol worshiping people. I navigated through the theme of how faithful girls live in a land of idols.
A vineyard also seemed like a fitting setting since it would have a bounty of fruit and be a desirable plot of land. God gave a beautiful blessing to the daughters of Zelophehad.
I visited the Jezreel Valley and walked the ruins of Megiddo in 2023. I have a picture of myself holding Claiming Canaan.
PBG: The relationship between Milcah and Eli begins with tension rooted in past reputations and shared family dynamics. Please share how you developed their early interactions to reflect themes of redemption and forgiveness?
BMB: I did not plan on writing a series on the daughters of Zelophehad. After I wrote Lioness, I realized that the girls did not have their land. I carried them through two more books and through the book of Joshua until that gift was bestowed. Since I did not plan out my heroes, I was left with Eli. He wasn’t a hero in the other books. God is a God of forgiveness and second chances and that is what shines through with Eli. As the story unfolds, Eli grows in his faith in God and in his bond with Milcah.
PBG: The vineyard and its elements, like the winepress and hidden storehouse, create a vivid backdrop for Milcah’s story. What stylistic choices did you make to evoke a sense of ancient Canaan while emphasizing the emotional and faith-based connections for modern Christian readers?
BMB: God wants us to shine a light for Him and to help those in need. Milcah is faithful to help the poor with her vineyard as is instructed in Leviticus chapter nineteen. She also shares her faith and does not back down when confronted by a mysterious idol worshiper.
I bring the sisters together to help stomp grapes. Even though life gets busy—today and in Bible Times—we need to make time for family. I had fun creating a fight scene with mashed grapes like I remembered in an older sitcom I Love Lucy.
PBG: Family bonds, particularly among Milcah and her sisters, play a key role in the initial setup. How did you balance portraying their supportive relationships with the individual spiritual journeys?
BMB: Even though I gave each sister a distinct personality, they all love God. Their unique personalities have them interact with God in different ways. Some sisters are quick to prayer and others ruminate for a while.
The bond between the sisters remains strong in all the books. They may be disgruntled with one another at times, but the underlying love they have for each other is unshakeable.
You can read about the daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 26:33, 27:1-11, 36:1-12, Joshua 17:3-6, and I Chronicles 7:15.
I am so thankful that I discovered their story.
On the Themes and Connections across the Trilogy
PBG: Noah, Mahlah, and Milcah face forced or unexpected betrothals, yet each finds genuine love. How did you ensure each sister’s romantic journey felt distinct while maintaining the trilogy’s overarching theme of God’s provision for orphaned women claiming their inheritance?
BMB: In all of the books, I worked under the framework of God’s laws for the Tribes of Israel. There are specific commands the people were to follow about how they should live. I made sure that love would win even if the romantic parties may not have been betrothed for years.
The sisters saw the good in the hearts of their heroes. All my characters love God. Some have a little spiritual growth to weather before they arrive at a happily-ever-after. We all have flaws, but God loves us anyway.
PBG: The daughters of Zelophehad’s petition for land is a thread woven through all three books, from Moses’ initial ruling to Joshua’s allocation in the valley. Can you discuss how you used this biblical foundation to explore themes of female agency, family loyalty, and faith in God’s promises across the trilogy?
BMB: The story of the daughters of Zelophahd shows how God championed women in the Old Testament and throughout Scripture. The girls had to wait to receive their land until Canaan was conquered, but they remained steadfast in their trust of God’s provision. They were also bold in reminding Joshua about their land! These were strong women of the Bible and some of them were young. We do not know their age, but none of them had a husband during their initial ask for land. The girls went into the assembly by themselves with a strong faith in God.
I hope readers will get a glimpse of the faith of these historic girls. It was a blessing of a lifetime to write a fictional account of their story. I wish more Christians knew of their bravery and love for God.
I had a blast writing about these historic girls, and I learned so much about the Bible. It was sad to say goodbye when “Claiming Canaan” concluded.