Characters and Characterization in the Book of Samuel (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)

Characters provide the entry point to the story of the books of Samuel, just as they do in all stories. In this book the history of research into characters in Samuel, and the role(s) they play in the text are examined and discussed. The contributors look at the interpretative function of characters in the Samuel stories, and at issues of textual composition and what profiling of characters within the text can add to theories surrounding this issue. Specific characters are also profiled and studied. The character of God is examined: is God kind towards Israel? Is God loving and ‘worthy to be praised’ 2 Sam 22.4. Characters such as Hannah are examined from the perspective of literary type, as well as Eli as priest and Samuel himself as prophet. All of the major characters within the books are studied, including David and Jonathan, and chapters also treat the minor characters and offer information on their roles in the structure of the text. The contributors provide a range of different approaches to characterization, according to their specific expertise, and provide a thorough handbook to the characters in Samuel and their roles in the literary make-up of the text.

Keith Bodner is Professor of Religious Studies at Crandall University in New Brunswick,Canada. He holds PhD degrees in biblical studies (Universityof Aberdeen) and English Literature (University of Manchester). He serves on the editorialboard of the Journal for the Study of theOld Testament, and is a former section chair (Bakhtin and the BiblicalImagination) for the Society of Biblical Literature. His 2008 book 1 Samuel: A Narrative Commentary wasawarded the R. B. Y. Scott Award from the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies,and his most recent book is Jeroboam'sRoyal Drama (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012).

Laura Quick is Assistant Professor of Religion and Judaic Studies at Princeton University, USA.

Jacqueline Vayntrub is Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible at Yale University, USA