Moses and the Angels

Rarely has the story of Moses been presented with such grace and economy as in this striking book. As the title indicates, in her retelling of Moses' life, Sobel, a book editor who has won numerous prizes including the PEN/Roger Klein Award, emphasizes the Jewish prophet's many encounters or intersections with angels, good and evil. The first angel to manifest is the Angel of Dreams, who shows Pharaoh an image that foretells Moses' birth; the last is the Angel Semalion, who announces Moses' death, causing the angels in heaven to weep ""as never before."" In between, Sobel conjures a full celestial host--including, perhaps most memorably, the Angel of Death, ""with a serpent's head and thousands of eyes""--that lends this account the potent air of a ""legend,"" as Wiesel says in his introduction, that is ""magical, thus mystical, evolving on the other side of reality."" Sobel's prose, strong and direct, is perfectly balanced by the numerous, beautiful and evocative paintings by Podwal (The Book of Tens, etc.). Their light yet bold images in supple colors--luminous gold, azure blue, pomegranate--give great lift to the storytelling. The result is a book that evokes ancient truth while displaying considerable charm. Of appeal to both adults and children, this volume is highly recommended to those interested in seeing a familiar story with fresh eyes. A welcome alternative to the many spin-offs of the current Dreamworks film Prince of Egypt, the book deserves a wide readership. (Mar.)