Reading the Women of the Bible: A New Interpretation of Their Stories » (Reprint)

"In this study, Tikva Frymer-Kensky takes up two of the most significant intellectual and religious issues of our day: the experiences of women in a patriarchal society and the relevance of the Bible to modern life. She examines the stories of Sarah, Rebecca, and Rachel; of Dinah, Tamar, Deborah, Ruth, and Jezebel; of biblical women young and old, married and single, named and anonymous. She considers them individually and collectively, and she uncovers four patterns that emerge from within their lives: woman as victor, as victim, as bride/wife, and as voice of God." Reading the Women of the Bible is a product of serious scholarship that also enables us to consider what relevance these stories have for today's women, whose lives are in many ways different from the stories of our biblical ancestors. Frymer-Kensky succeeds in illuminating with equal intensity the world of the Bible and our contemporary culture.

Ari L. Goldman

You'll never see the women of the Bible in quite the same way after reading Tikva Frymer-Kensky's excellent new book. In her able hands, these women emerge from the ancient texts with new strength and vigor. Frymer-Kensky is a dazzling thinker who presents her ideas with unusual energy and clarity.