Description
Book SynopsisTraces Herman Melville's response to an array of nineteenth-century writings that includes literary scriptures, biblical scholarship, Holy Land travel narratives, political sermons, and women's bibles. This book shows how Melville raised with verve the question of what counts as Bible and what counts as interpretation.
Trade Review“A fascinating account.” * Review of Biblical Literature *
“A well-researched, attractively written examination of the larger biblical context of Melville’s masterpiece, and it provides a capable overview of a variety of nineteenth-century exegetical and hermeneutical traditions on the five Old Testament figures it scrutinizes.” * Christianity and Literature *
“Well argued and well written, this is a book for all students of Melville.” * CHOICE *
“Each of the book’s five chapters is deftly written and certainly demonstrates Pardes’ proficiency in the fields of literary criticism and biblical exegesis.” * Missiology *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Playing with Leviathan: Job and the Aesthetic Turn in Biblical Exegesis 2. "Jonah Historically Regarded": Improvisations on Kitto's Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature 3. "Call Me Ishmael": The Bible and the Orient 4. Ahab, Idolatry, and the Question of Possession: Biblical Politics 5. Rachel's Inconsolable Cry: The Rise of Women's Bibles Epilogue Notes Index
