Subversive Sequels in the Bible: How Biblical Stories Mine and Undermine Each Other

by Judy Klitsner

Overview

Judy Klitsner pairs biblical stories to show how a later text will often comment on, or even subvert, an earlier one.

 
The author draws on her fluent command of Hebrew commentary and her broad reading of ancient and modern exegesis, and creates a rare dialogue between feminist and traditional Bible commentary. Using the method of parshanut (interpretation) and her own unique approach to biblical texts, Klitsner draws bold, surprising parallels between biblical passages, revealing previously unexcavated layers of meaning. The result is a series of fresh and original readings of familiar narratives, accessible to both novice and experienced readers of the Bible. With her fresh, original readings of familiar narratives, Klitsner illustrates the dynamic nature of biblical attitudes regarding issues of ongoing relevance, such as the self, gender relations, and relations between Jews and non-Jews.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613290279
Publisher:	The Toby Press, LLC
Publication date:	02/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	311 KB

About the Author

Judy Klitsner is a senior faculty member at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, where she has been teaching Bible and biblical exegesis for nearly two decades. Many of her former students, now teachers and heads of Jewish Studies programs throughout the U.S., employ her skill-based, literary methods in their teaching. She lectures widely in Israel, the U.S., and the U.K., with a special focus on topics related to women and universalism, noting the importance of themes that are often neglected by Bible commentators.

Table of Contents

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction xix

Chapter 1 The Wings of the Dove: Noah and Jonah in Flight from Self 1

Chapter 2 The Rebirth of the Individual: The Tower of Babel and the Midwives of Israel 35

Chapter 3 Mysterious Priests and Troubled Patriarchs: Melchizedek and Jethro and the Building of Leaders 73

Chapter 4 The Three Faces of Woman: The Garden of Eden in Search of Sequels 111

Chapter 5 Forbidden Fruit and the Quest for Motherhood: Havvah and Sarah 131

Chapter 6 The Tent, the Field, and the Battlefield: Rebekah and Other Mothers 159

Afterword 201

Bibliography 205

Classical Jewish Sources 209

Subject Index 215

Index of Biblical and Rabbinic Sources 225

Editorial Reviews

"Ms. Klitsner is an excellent teacher whose insights into biblical narrative will deepen the reader’s engagement and understanding."—Rabbi David Silber, Founder and Dean of the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education

Rabbi David Silber

"Klitsner addresses head-on the challenges of finding modern-day relevance in the Bible, especially in relation to women's issues. She analyzes without apologizing, leaving the reader with much to consider."—Hadassah Magazine

Hadassah Magazine

"In this ground-breaking book, Judy Klitsner presides over a conversation between pairs, or sequences, of biblical narratives. Paying close attention to the nuances of biblical language, she expertly maps the way in which passages echo and subvert one another. Her alert ear and vigorous writing style reveal new intertextual structures, within which later narratives reconsider earlier ones, revising and often redeeming them . . . A moral and religious passion animates this innovative study."—Avivah Zornberg, Torah scholar and author (including the JPS classic Genesis: The Beginning of Desire)

Avivah Zornberg

"Singularly faithful to the biblical text, which Klitsner reads closely and with great respect, this book is fascinating and radical in its implications and inspires the reader to see surprising connections in language and in themes."—JOFA Journal

JOFA Journal

"This new commentary exhibits biblical scholarship at its finest."—Jewish Book World

Jewish Book World