The Feminized Hero in Second Temple Judaism

Lawrence M. Wills (Boston University School of Theology)

$173.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Cambridge University Press
23 January 2025

Old Testaments; Judaism: sacred texts; Gender studies, gender groups; Jewish studies

The turbulent Second Temple period produced searching biblical texts whose protagonists, unlike heroes like Noah, Abraham, and Moses, were more everyday figures who expressed their moral uncertainties more vocally. Reflecting on a new type of Jewish moral agent, these tales depict men who are feminized, and women who are masculinized. In this volume, Lawrence M. Wills offers a deep interrogation of these stories, uncovering the psychological aspects of Jewish identity, moral life, and decisions that they explore. Often written as novellas, the stories investigate emotions, psychological interiorizing, the self, agency, and character. Recent insights from gender and postcolonial theory inform Wills' study, as he shows how one can study and compare modern and ancient gender constructs. Wills also reconstructs the social fabric of the Second Temple period and demonstrates how a focus on emotions, the self, and moral psychology, often associated with both ancient Greek and modern literature, are present in biblical texts, albeit in a subtle, unassuming manner.

By: Lawrence M. Wills (Boston University School of Theology)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781009487160
ISBN 10: 1009487167
Pages: 173
Publication Date: 23 January 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction; 1. The Hebrew Bible background of the Feminized and Masculinized Protagonist; 2. A Feminized Ezra and a Masculinized Nehemiah; 3. The Daniel Tradition and Susanna; 4. Esther, Judith and Achior, and the Women of rewritten Scripture; 5. The Feminized Protagonist in wisdom of Solomon and the Gospel of Mark; Conclusion and three post-second temple examples: Shepherd of Hermas, Testament of Joseph, and Joseph and Aseneth; Bibliography; Index.

Lawrence M. Wills is adjunct instructor of religious studies and theology at Stonehill College. He is the author of The Jewish Novel in the Ancient World (1995), which was named Choice Outstanding Academic Book and Introduction to the Apocrypha (2021) which was a finalist for the American Association of Publishers' PROSE awards.