Making Men identifies and elaborates on a theme in the Hebrew Bible that has largely gone unnoticed by scholars-the transition of a male adolescent from boyhood to manhood. Wilson locates five examples of the male coming-of-age theme in the Hebrew Bible. The protagonists of these stories include the well-known biblical heroes Moses, Samuel, David, and Solomon. He also reveals the existence of a narrative theme of failing to mature to manhood, exemplified in the tales of Samson and Gideon's son Jether.

Beyond identifying the coming-of-age theme, Wilson describes how the theme is...