The story of Jacob and Esau is told in the book of Genesis. With
his mother's help, Jacob impersonates his hairy older twin by
dressing in Esau's clothes and covering his own hands and the nape
of his neck with the hairy hide of goats. Fooled by this ruse,
their blind father, Isaac, is tricked into giving the younger son
the blessing of the firstborn. This is only one of many biblical
stories in which hair plays a pivotal role.
In recent years, there has been an explosion of scholarly interest
in the relationship between culture and the body. Hair plays an
integral role in the way we represent and identify ourselves. The
way we treat our hair has to do with aesthetics, social structure,
religious identity, and a host of other aspects of culture. In
societies modern and ancient, the hairdo is one key to a group's
cultural code. In ancient Israel, hair signifies important features
of identity with respect to gender, ethnicity, and holiness.
Susan Niditch seeks a deeper understanding of Israelite culture as
expressed, shaped, and reinforced in images of hair. Among her
examples is the tradition's most famous long-haired hero, Samson.
The hair that assures Samson's strength is a common folktale motif,
but is also important to his sacred status as a Nazirite. Niditch
examines the meaning of the Nazirite identity held by Samuel as
well as Samson arguing that long hair is involved in a complex set
of cultural assumptions about men, warrior status, and divine
election. In addition to biblical texts, Niditch looks at pictorial
and other material evidence. She concludes by examining the
troubling texts in which men impose hair cutting or loosening upon
women, revealing much aboutattitudes to women and their place in
Israelite culture. Much has been written on the presentation of the
body in various literatures, including the Bible, but the role of
hair in ancient Israel has been neglected. This book charts a new
path for studies on the body, religion, and culture.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
