Concerning Reuel

The name Reuel, so popular now in the J.R.R. Tolkien's branch of the family (almost every descendant of Arthur Reuel Tolkien) has the Reuel middle name, even the women, is a puzzle for the Tolkien biographers. If John Benjamin Tolkien, Arthur's father was a Freemason (a Brother, Senior Warden in the Lodge of Perseverance, No. 573 in Halesowen near Birmingham), then this name woudn't be anything curious. The Freemasons have great attention to Moses who married Zipporah, a daughter of Reuel/Jethro. Also the United Brethren (Herrnhut, Moravian Brothers) community which was supported by John Benjamin Tolkien had great attention to Old Testament.

Moses Meets Zipporah

According to the Bible and the masonic tradition Moses had married Zipporah, the daughter of Reuel, who was the 'Jethro' or high priest or leader of the Kenites. Moses and his brother Aaron had also been initiated into the priesthood of the Kenites and had began the worship of God, Yahweh.