Synopsis
An examination of the themes and morals connected to biblical tales involving adultery, incest, mutilation, and murder.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1997-05-01 |
| Size | | Length: | 378 pages | | Height: | 9.8 in | | Width: | 6.8 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 24.8 oz |
Publisher's Note
Sex. Violence. Scandal. These are words we rarely associate with the sacred text of the Bible. Yet in this brilliant new book, Jonathan Kirsch shows that the Old Testament is filled with some of the most startling and explicit stories in all of Western literature. These tales of seduction and rape, voyeurism and exhibitionism, intermarriage and illegitimacy, assassination and murder have been suppressed by religious authorities throughout history precisely because they are so shocking. "You mean thats in the Bible?" is the common reaction of the contemporary reader to the stories that Kirsch retells and explores.In The Harlot by the Side of the Road, Kirsch recounts these suppressed and mistranslated tales in the grand storytelling tradition. Here is the tale of Dinah, the young Israelite daughter raped by a princely suitor. The price for her hand in marriage? The circumcision of every man in his kingdom. Here, too, is the story of Lots daughters, who, when faced with the possibility that they are the last survivors on earth, must copulate with their drunken father to continue their race. And the story of Tamar, the harlot by the side of the road, who must disguise herself as a prostitute and seduce her father-in-law in order to bear the child who has been promised her. Kirsch places each story within the political and social context of its time, and delves into the latest biblical scholarship to explain why each story was originally censored. He also brings to light when and where each story was first written down, and how it found its way into the Bible. And he shows how these stories have something important to say to contemporary readers who might never pick up a Bible.Kirsch reveals that the Bibles real power lies in its unflinching lessons in human nature. And he illuminates the surprising modernity of the Bibles characters: these were, like us, people delicately balanced between their destructive and generous natures. Certain to excite controversy and ignite intellectual debate, The Harlot by the Side of the Road will undoubtedly be one of the year's most talked-about books.
Industry Reviews
Kirsch, an attorney and book critic, retells some of the juicier stories of the Bible in contemporary language. He expands upon the original biblical text to make the stories highly readable and includes with each the original text in modern translation and a brief sketch of the scholarly research and the speculation surrounding it. For those to whom Bible stories suggest "Disneyesque animals and simple uplifting moral lessons," this book may be a bit of a shock. Kirsch shows that the Bible is not a children's book. Then, as now, rape, incest, prostitution, murder, and strange religious cults were a part of life. As Kirsch says, "The Bible is a map of the human heart, and no secret chamber or hidden passage is left out." Kirsch contends that returning to the Bible can offer insight into modern issues. Mostly, however, he offers an irresistible popularization of some unfamiliar stories. Some readers will enjoy it; others will be highly offended. Recommended for public libraries. C. Robert Nixon, MLS, Lafayette, Ind.
Stefanatos
Arguing that several stories in the Bible have often go untold because of the graphic nature of their sexual content, writer and attorney Kirsch here sets out to retell the stories, ranging from the "sacred incest of Lot's daughters" to the rape of David's daughter, Tamar, in contemporary language, using dialogue and descriptive detail to make the stories more accessible to today's readers. The stories may be surprising to those whose only familiarity with the Bible is from childhood, since they deal with such adult issues like prostitution, incest and rape. For example, the chapter on "Lot and His Daughters" continues the story past the usual Sunday school ending. Since Lot and his two daughters are the only survivors after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, each daughter in turn seduces her father and conceives a child in order to continue the human race. After each story, Kirsch attempts to put the story into context with his own critical analysis and the interpretations of other biblical scholars. The author also includes a chapter on methods of reading the Bible and a helpful bibliography. Kirsch succeeds in bringing these ancient stories to vivid life, and in revealing the human passions and frailties often left out of the telling of familiar Bible tales. (May)
Lopate
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