Sara M. Koenig's Books

Isn't This Bathsheba?

A Study in Characterization

By: Sara M. Koenig

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Isn't This Bathsheba?

A Study in Characterization

By: Sara M. Koenig

Bathsheba is undeniably a minor character in the biblical plotline, appearing in only four chapters in Samuel and Kings combined, and even therein saying and doing very little. Thus she is often ignored or mentioned merely parenthetically. When Bathsheba has been considered, she has been depicted in a myriad of ways on the spectrum from helpless victim to hapless seductress. In fact, with so many different interpretations of her throughout the centuries, it is easy to find oneself asking, along with the anonymous informant in 2 Sam 11:3, "Isn't this Bathsheba?" This study argues that while she is a minor character, Bathsheba is complex and positive, and shows development from when she first appears in Samuel to when she fades out of the story in Kings. Koenig compares close and careful reading of Bathsheba in the Masoretic Text with the story as it appears in the versions of the Septuagint, the Peshitta, and the Targum of Jonathan. In those versions, Bathsheba's characterization as a complex, generally positive individual and as a character who shows development remains consistent with the Masoretic Text: not in spite of the changes from the Hebrew into Greek, Syriac, and Aramaic, but because of them. This study also considers how Bathsheba is portrayed in early Jewish interpretations from Josephus, the Talmud, and rabbinic Midrash. Even there, the portrayal of Bathsheba is rich and positive. Studying Bathsheba's character has implications for a broader understanding of how texts are read, how meanings are gathered, and how characters are built.

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Page Count

200

Publisher

Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1725245493

ISBN 13

9781725245495

Bathsheba Survives

By: Sara M. Koenig

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Bathsheba Survives

By: Sara M. Koenig

A portrait of a biblical woman seen through the centuries as everything from adviser to temptress to victim Bathsheba is a mysterious and enigmatic figure who appears in only seventy-six verses of the Bible and whose story is riddled with gaps. But this seemingly minor female character, who plays a critical role in King David's story, has survived through the ages, and her "afterlife" in the history of interpretation is rich and extensive. In Bathsheba Survives, Sara M. Koenig traces Bathsheba's reception throughout history and in various genres, demonstrating how she has been characterized on the spectrum from helpless victim to unscrupulous seductress. Early Jewish interpretations, Koenig argues, highlight Bathsheba's role as Solomon's mother and adviser, while texts from the patristic era view her as a type: of sinful flesh, of the law, or of the gentile church. Works from the medieval period depict Bathsheba as a seductress who wants to tempt David, with art embellishing her nudity, while reformers such as Luther and Calvin treated Bathsheba in a generally critical light as indiscreet and perhaps even devious. During the Enlightenment period, Koenig claims Bathsheba was most frequently discussed in commentaries that used historical critical methods to explain her character and her actions. Koenig then demonstrates how Bathsheba is understood in today's popular media as both seductress and victim, being featured in novels, films, and in music from such artists as Leonard Cohen and Sting. The minor, enigmatic biblical character Bathsheba, Koenig writes, has survived through time by those who have received her and spoken about her in varying ways. Though she disappears from the biblical text, she resurfaces in thought and study and will continue to survive in the centuries to come.

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Page Count

193

Publisher

Univ of South Carolina Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1611179149

ISBN 13

9781611179149

Isn't This Bathsheba?

A Study in Characterization

By: Sara M. Koenig

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Isn't This Bathsheba?

A Study in Characterization

By: Sara M. Koenig

Bathsheba is undeniably a minor character in the biblical plotline, appearing in only four chapters in Samuel and Kings combined, and even therein saying and doing very little. Thus she is often ignored or mentioned merely parenthetically. When Bathsheba has been considered, she has been depicted in a myriad of ways on the spectrum from helpless victim to hapless seductress. In fact, with so many different interpretations of her throughout the centuries, it is easy to find oneself asking, along with the anonymous informant in 2 Sam 11:3, "Isn't this Bathsheba?"This study argues that while she is a minor character, Bathsheba is complex and positive, and shows development from when she first appears in Samuel to when she fades out of the story in Kings. Koenig compares close and careful reading of Bathsheba in the Masoretic Text with the story as it appears in the versions of the Septuagint, the Peshitta, and the Targum of Jonathan. In those versions, Bathsheba's characterization as a complex, generally positive individual and as a character who shows development remains consistent with the Masoretic Text: not in spite of the changes from the Hebrew into Greek, Syriac, and Aramaic, but because of them. This study also considers how Bathsheba is portrayed in early Jewish interpretations from Josephus, the Talmud, and rabbinic Midrash. Even there, the portrayal of Bathsheba is rich and positive. Studying Bathsheba's character has implications for a broader understanding of how texts are read, how meanings are gathered, and how characters are built.

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Age

Page Count

201

Publisher

Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

1608994279

ISBN 13

9781608994274

Bathsheba Survives

By: Sara M. Koenig

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Bathsheba Survives

By: Sara M. Koenig

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N/A

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

193

Publisher

Univ of South Carolina Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1611179149

ISBN 13

9781611179149

Book's by Sara M. Koenig

Isn't This Bathsheba?

Isn't This Bathsheba?

Bathsheba Survives

Bathsheba Survives

Isn't This Bathsheba?

Isn't This Bathsheba?

Bathsheba Survives

Bathsheba Survives

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