Book

Kirsch, Jonathan, 1949- author.

The harlot by the side of the road : forbidden tales of the Bible / Jonathan Kirsch.

First edition

New York : Ballantine Books, [1997]

©1997

x, 378 pages : maps ; 25 cm

Discusses several stories in the Old Testament of the Bible which deal with sex, violence, and scandal which are frequently suppressed or mistranslated. Places each story within the political and social context of its time, explores why it was written down and added to the Bible, and why it was originally censored. Also includes a section titled "Who really wrote the Bible?"

Bible. Old Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Sex in the Bible.

Violence in the Bible.

Forbidden tales of the Bible

Includes bibliographical references (pages 353-367) and index.

Forbidden tales of the bible -- Lot and his daughters -- Life against death: the sacred incest of Lot's daughters -- The rape of Dinah -- "See what a scourge is laid upon your hate": the strange affair of Dinah and Shechem -- Tamar and Judah -- The woman who willed herself into history: Tamar as the harlot by the side of the road -- Zipporah and Moses -- The bridegroom of blood: Zipporah as the goddess-rescuer of Moses -- Jephthah and his daughter -- A goddess of Israel: the forbidden cult of Jephthah's daughter -- The traveler and his concubine -- God and gyno-sadism: heroines and martyrs in the Book of Judges -- Tamar and Amnon -- The rape of Tamar: the politics of love and hate in the court of King David -- God's novel has suspense.

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description

97000224

0345407490

9780345407498

0345418824

9780345418821

0345407490

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