The Queen of Sheba and the slandered Susanna are biblical figures who have seized the imagination of generations of Jews, Christians and Muslims in every age and every land, taking on the image best fitted to their expectations.

The Book of Nahum's moving and disturbing poetry provides a prophetical glimpse on the social identity dynamics of ancient Israel. A multidimensional reading of Nahum leads to a theological-ethical model for interpreting uncomfortable texts like the oracles concerning the nations.

Using societal patterns of exploitation that are evidenced in agrarian societies from the Bronze Age to modern-day corporate globalization, Re-Reading the Prophets offers a new approach to understanding the hidden contexts behind prophetic complaints against economic injustice in eighth-century Judah.

This anthology constitutes the proceedings of the Anthropology and the Bible session from the European Association of Biblical Studies' annual meeting held in Lincoln, UK (July 2009).

This anthology on Eve brings together an international group of scholars to discuss how this character has been interpreted by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In a time when the history of women is being reassessed, it is natural that women look to the paradigmatic female figure. This treatment of Eve covers her wide range of roles as mother of our race, victim, stooge, wife, companion, independent thinker, and "helper." A venerated figure by many modern feminists and a denigrated figure by those who blame her for original sin, no reader will leave these pages indifferent to the first...

What strategies can be applied in producing an alternative version of Scripture that is complementary to the existing translation(s) and acceptable to the target audience? This book answers this question by exploring a strategy for this purpose.

The narrative of Noah's flood in Genesis draws perennial interest from scholars and the general public. Too often, however, historical and exegetical studies of the text, the story's reception, and discussion of theological appropriation remain aloof from each other, if not at odds. This volume takes the influential nature of the flood story as an ideal opportunity to bring some of these methods into dialogue.

Using a form of social-historical criticism this book provides a counter-reading of Lamentations that elucidates the impact and aftermath of siege warfare on Judah's peasants.

The less-discussed character in the Bible is the woman: two talking animals therein have sometimes received more page space. This volume shines the light of close scrutiny in the less-trodden direction and focuses on biblical and allied women, or on the feminine side of Creation. Biblical women are compared to mythical characters from the wider Middle East or from contemporary literature, and feminist/womanist perspectives are discussed alongside traditional and theological perspectives.

Job finds himself in a situation similar to one experienced by everyone at some point in his or her life. He wants answers to questions concerning what has happened to him, since he lived his life according to the traditional wisdom and rules of conduct, asking what has gone wrong and why. The Book of Job raises fundamental questions of both the actions and expectations of humans and deities, and asks whether a clear understanding can be reached between them. The contributing essays to this anthology help advance and sharpen both the questions and the responses to that question.