The Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is an unusual book to find in the Bible. As the Bible's only love poem, the Song offers a unique picture of relations between the sexes in biblical times. Unlike other biblical books, it consists entirely of dialogue. It looks at love from both a woman's and a man's point of view, and shows the reader what love is like exclusively through what lovers say about it. There are few issues in Song of Songs interpretation that are not open to debate, which makes it a fascinating book to study. In this Guide, Cheryl Exum provides a concise survey of the principal questions encountered in Song of Songs scholarship. She also takes the discussion beyond the traditional research questions to introduce readers to new and ongoing areas in Song of Songs research. Bibliographies and suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter provide additional resources for readers interested in pursuing specific topics and exploring new directions in the study of the Song of Songs.

This will be the first volume of a new journal, Biblical Reception (BibRec), to be published in November 2012. It is high time, we believe, for the new and burgeoning field of the reception of the Bible to have a publication medium of its own. What the biblical text has meant to its readers down the centuries should be as much the subject of scholarly attention as any 'original' meaning. Our new journal will be a substantial annual volume covering all kinds of use of the Bible - in art, literature, music, film and popular culture, as well as in the history of interpretation. The first volume is now in the press. Papers for the second volume are being solicited. The preferred length is 5000 to 8000 words; the Sheffield Phoenix Press style sheet may be found at www.sheffieldphoenix.com/authors.asp. Submissions should contain, beneath the title, an abstract of c. 250 words, and be sent electronically to [email protected]. Papers will be peer reviewed. Editorial Board Alan Cooper (New York), James Crossley (Sheffield), Andrew Davies (Birmingham), Philip Esler (London), Susanne Gillmayr-Bucher (Aachen), John Harvey (Aberystwyth), Christine Joynes (Oxford), Carol Newsom (Atlanta), Martin O'Kane (Lampeter), Ilana Pardes (Jerusalem), Tina Pippin (Decatur, GA), Adele Reinhartz (Ottawa), John Sawyer (Perugia), Reinhold Zwick (Munster)

In this guest-edited issue of Biblical Reception, edited by Diane Apostolos-Cappadona, contributors examine the reception of the bible in art. Most of the contributions focus on biblical women, or on encounters with women in the bible. The volume is roughly chronological in structure, beginning with two pieces on Eve, one of which compares representations of Eve with those of the Virgin Mary, the other which considers how Eve is presented in Islamic texts and images. Following a contribution on Esther and Sarah the volume moves on to consider New Testament texts, with notable focus on women at the peripheries of society (the woman with the hemorrhage in Mark's gospel and the woman of Samaria). Attention is also paid to representations of Mary Magdalene and of Judith and Salome. The volume concludes with a piece on apocalyptic imagery and the woman clothed with the sun of Revelation 12. Featuring over 50 high quality color images, this volume provides scholarship of the highest level on biblical art.

Aileen Guilding was Professor of Biblical History and Literature in the University of Sheffield from 1959 to 1965, and was known especially for her monograph The Fourth Gospel and Jewish Worship: A Study of the Relation of St. John's Gospel to the Ancient Jewish Lectionary System (Oxford, 1960), which enjoyed a succes d'estime in its day as an exceptionally fascinating and learned book. She is celebrated in Sheffield as the first female professor in the University; she was also the first woman to hold a chair in theology or religion in the United Kingdom. After her death at the age of 94 a conference on themes relevant to her special interests was held in Sheffield as part of a meeting of the Society for Old Testament Study, and the papers read there are presented in this volume, published in the 101st year after her birth."

This original commentary foregrounds at every turn the poetic genius of the Song of Songs, one of the most elusive texts of the Hebrew Bible. J. Cheryl Exum locates that genius in the way the Song not only tells but shows its readers that love is strong as death, thereby immortalizing love, as well as in the way the poet explores the nature of love by a mature sensitivity to how being in love is different for the woman and the man. Many long-standing conundrums in the interpretation of the book are offered persuasive solutions in Exum's verse by verse exegesis.

The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.

This lively collection of essays seeks to establish a dialogue between the Bible and art that sees the biblical text and artistic representations of it as equal conversation partners. By looking at texts and canvases from different angles, the nine contributors to the volume reveal how biblical interpretation can shed important light on art, how art can contribute significantly to biblical interpretation and how each has something distinctive to offer to the interpretative task.

This is the second volume of the new journal, Biblical Reception (BibRec), due to be published in November 2013. For the first volume, click here. Our policy for the journal is this. It is high time, we believe, for the new and burgeoning field of the reception of the Bible to have a publication medium of its own. What the biblical text has meant to its readers down the centuries should be as much the subject of scholarly attention as any 'original' meaning. Our new journal is a substantial annual volume covering all kinds of use of the Bible - in art, literature, music, film and popular culture, as well as in the history of interpretation. Papers for the third volume are being solicited, and should be submitted before April 30, 2014. The preferred length is 5000 to 8000 words; the Sheffield Phoenix Press style sheet may be found at www.sheffieldphoenix.com/authors.asp. Submissions should contain, beneath the title, an abstract of c. 250 words, and be sent electronically to [email protected]. Papers will be peer reviewed. Editorial Board Diane Apostolos-Cappadona (Washington, DC), Alan Cooper (New York), James Crossley (Sheffield), Andrew Davies (Birmingham), Tamara C. Eskenazi (Los Angeles), Philip Esler (Gloucester), Susanne Gillmayr-Bucher (Linz), John Harvey (Aberystwyth), Christine Joynes (Oxford), Carol Newsom (Atlanta), Martin O'Kane (Lampeter), Tina Pippin (Decatur, GA), John F.A. Sawyer (Durham), Reinhold Zwick (Munster).

This work adopts the direction of the Hebrew script as a metaphor for the cultural transformation involved in every act of biblical interpretation. It is a concern that has been evident in much of the work of David Clines, to whom this volume was presented on his 65th birthday. Clines, who has been associated with the Department of Biblical Studies in the University of Sheffield for the whole of his scholarly career, and who was one of the founders and directors of Sheffield Academic Press for 25 years. The volume includes thirty-seven essays from established scholars around the world, covering topics including the Pentateuch prophecy, wisdom, ancient Israelite history, Greek tragedy and the ideology of biblical scholarship.

Art as Biblical Commentary is not just about biblical art but, more importantly, about biblical exegesis and the contributions visual criticism as an exegetical tool can make to biblical exegesis and commentary. Using a range of texts and numerous images, J. Cheryl Exum asks what works of art can teach us about the biblical text. 'Visual criticism' is her term for an approach that addresses this question by focusing on the narrativity of images-reading them as if, like texts, they have a story to tell-and asking what light an image's 'story' can shed on the biblical narrator's story. In Part I, Exum elaborates on her approach and offers a personal testimony to the value of visual criticism. Part 2 examines in detail the story of Hagar in Genesis 16 and 21. Part 3 contains chapters on erotic looking and voyeuristic gazing in the stories of Bathsheba, Susanna, Joseph and Potiphar's wife and the Song of Songs; on the distribution of renown among Jael, Deborah and Barak; on the Bible's notorious women, Eve and Delilah; and on the sacrificed female body in the stories of the Levite's wife (Judges 19) and Mary the mother of Jesus.

This important volume focuses on the contribution of excavated material to the interpretation of biblical texts. Here, both practicing archaeologists and biblical scholars who have been active in field work demonstrate through their work that archaeological data and biblical accounts are complementary in the study of ancient Israel, early Judaism, and Christianity. Illustrations.

The Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is an unusual book to find in the Bible. As the Bible's only love poem, the Song offers a unique picture of relations between the sexes in biblical times. Unlike other biblical books, it consists entirely of dialogue. It looks at love from both a woman's and a man's point of view, and shows the reader what love is like exclusively through what lovers say about it. There are few issues in Song of Songs interpretation that are not open to debate, which makes it a fascinating book to study. In this Guide, Cheryl Exum provides a concise survey of the principal questions encountered in Song of Songs scholarship. She also takes the discussion beyond the traditional research questions to introduce readers to new and ongoing areas in Song of Songs research. Bibliographies and suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter provide additional resources for readers interested in pursuing specific topics and exploring new directions in the study of the Song of Songs.

Using insights about ancient and modern tragedy, this study offers challenging and provocative new readings of selected Biblical narratives: the story of Israel's first king, Saul, rejected for his disobedience to God and driven to madness; the story of Jephthah's sacrifice of his daughter in fulfillment of his vow to offer God a sacrifice in return for military victory; and the story of Israel's most famous king, David, whose tragedy lies in the burden of divine judgement that falls on his house as a consequence of his sins. The book discusses how these narratives handle such perennial tragic issues as guilt, suffering and evil.

Art as Biblical Commentary is not just about biblical art but, more importantly, about biblical exegesis and the contributions visual criticism as an exegetical tool can make to biblical exegesis and commentary. Using a range of texts and numerous images, J. Cheryl Exum asks what works of art can teach us about the biblical text. 'Visual criticism' is her term for an approach that addresses this question by focusing on the narrativity of images-reading them as if, like texts, they have a story to tell-and asking what light an image's 'story' can shed on the biblical narrator's story. In Part I, Exum elaborates on her approach and offers a personal testimony to the value of visual criticism. Part 2 examines in detail the story of Hagar in Genesis 16 and 21. Part 3 contains chapters on erotic looking and voyeuristic gazing in the stories of Bathsheba, Susanna, Joseph and Potiphar's wife and the Song of Songs; on the distribution of renown among Jael, Deborah and Barak; on the Bible's notorious women, Eve and Delilah; and on the sacrificed female body in the stories of the Levite's wife (Judges 19) and Mary the mother of Jesus.

Plotted, Shot, and Painted stakes out new territory for feminist biblical criticism. It considers what happens to biblical women in popular culture, in art and in film, and it foregrounds questions about how gender interests affect interpretation and about the roles and responsibilities of commentators and readers. This second revised edition contains an additional chapter, 'Lot and his Daughters', and an expanded chapter on Delilah. Exum's mastery of biblical scholarship, film criticism, feminist theory, and a vast literary and artistic repertoire is overwhelming ... a splendid work of analysis and critical thinking ... The book introduces the reader to an extraordinarily rich variety of critical experiences, which far transcends the limitations of conventional biblical scholarship. Francis Landy, Prooftexts ... a joy to read-still learned, but also witty and passionate. Here is a new kind of biblical criticism. We are talking here of things that really matter, things that have caused hurt to women and also to men, and things that could be made better ... It is about cinema, art, literature, popular song, and pornography. In other words, it places the Bible exactly where it should be, at the heart of our cultural experience from 'high' art to 'low' art ... David Jasper, Biblical Interpretation ... essential for all concerned with literary, feminist, and cultural readings and representation of biblical texts. W. Lee Humpheys, Religious Studies Review

This original commentary foregrounds at every turn the poetic genius of the Song of Songs, one of the most elusive texts of the Hebrew Bible. J. Cheryl Exum locates that genius in the way the Song not only tells but shows its readers that love is strong as death, thereby immortalizing love, as well as in the way the poet explores the nature of love by a mature sensitivity to how being in love is different for the woman and the man. Many long-standing conundrums in the interpretation of the book are offered persuasive solutions in Exum's verse by verse exegesis.

The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.

Can a painting or illustration of a biblical scene help readers understand the Bible? Conversely, to what extent can knowledge about a biblical story help viewers appreciate an artist's portrayal of it? Interpreting biblical art is more than a matter of asking whether or not an artist 'got it right' or 'got it wrong'. This lively collection of essays seeks to establish a dialogue between the Bible and art that sees the biblical text and artistic representations of it as equal conversation partners. By looking at texts and canvases from different angles, the nine contributors to the volume reveal how biblical interpretation can shed important light on art, how art can contribute significantly to biblical interpretation and how each has something distinctive to offer to the interpretative task. Contributions include J. Cheryl Exum on Solomon de Bray's Jael, Deborah and Barak, Hugh S. Pyper on depictions of the relationship between David and Jonathan, Martin O'Kane on the biblical Elijah and his visual afterlives, Christina Bucher on the Song of Songs and the enclosed garden motif in fifteenth-century paintings and engravings of Mary and the infant Jesus, Ela Nutu on differences in the way female and male artists have represented Judith, Christine E. Joynes on visualizations of Salome's dance, Heidi J. Hornik on Michele Tosini's Nativity, Way to Calvary and Crucifixion as visual narratives, Kelly J. Baker on Henry Ossawa Tanner's The Annunciation and Nicodemus, and Christopher Rowland on William Blake and the New Testament.

The eight lively contributions to this volume, appearing concurrently in a special issue of the journal Biblical Interpretation, illustrate a range of exciting approaches to the newly developing area of the reception history of the Bible in literature, music, art and film. (Originally published as issue 4-5 of Volume 15 (2007) of Brill's journal Biblical Interpretation)

In recent years biblical scholars and students have become increasingly interested in studying retellings of biblical stories in the arts, not only for their relation to the biblical text but also for the 'story' they have to tell (or, if they are not strictly 'retellings', for the light they might shed on the biblical text). The eight lively contributions to this volume illustrate a range of exciting approaches to retellings of the Bible in literature, music, art and film and reveal something of the scope of this fascinating and rapidly expanding area of inquiry. The present collection of essays appears concurrently in a special issue of the journal Biblical Interpretation. Since it was founded in 1993, Biblical Interpretation has played a key role in fostering the publication of articles in the newly developing area of the reception history of the Bible in the arts.

To mark the new millennium, "Virtual History and the Bible" asks where we are at the "fin de siecle" and how we got that way. What if important events in ancient history had turned out differently? How different might the present century be? What if Merneptah's scribes were telling the truth when they claimed, "Israel has been laid waste?" What if the exodus and conquest had really happened? What if we had no Assyrian account of Sennacherib's third campaign or the palace reliefs depicting his capture of Lachish? What if the Chronicler did use the Deuteronomistic History? What if Luke had never met Theophilus? What if Paul had travelled east rather than west? This is not fantasy or fiction. The sixteen essays in this volume, by eminent historians of the Bible, engage in serious scholarly inquiry into alternative historical scenarios and their potential consequences. The result is a trenchant demonstration of the ways historians set about working with the evidence in order to reconstruct the past. Contributors Keith W. Whitelam, Lester L. Grabbe, Susan Ackerman, Thomas L. Thompson, Ernst Axel Knauf, Ehud Ben Zvi, Diana Edelman, Robert P. Carroll, Niels Peter Lemche, Joseph Blenkinsopp, A. Graeme Auld, Philip R. Davies, Loveday C. A. Alexander, Richard Bauckham, John Dominic Crossan, Pheme Perkins.

Recent years have witnessed an upsurge of interest in relating the Bible to the worlds of literature and the visual arts. How is the Bible portrayed in the arts and how do the arts affect what we know, or think we know, about the Bible? In this provocative and wide-ranging collection, the eight contributors engage in a lively and fruitful conversation with the work of novelists, artists, filmmakers, and critics. Topics treated in this collection include the Bible and film, from Frank Capra movies of the 30s and 40s to such Hollywood epics as "The Robe" and "The Ten Commandments"; the Bible and literature, focusing particularly on the story of David and Bathsheba in recent fiction; and the Bible and painting, with specific studies of Rembrandt as painter and etcher and the twentieth-century German artist Lovis Corinth and more generalized discussion of paintings of King David throughout the centuries and the representation of the sexuality of Jesus in Renaissance art. Contributors include Joel Rosenberg, Erica Sheen, Martin O'Kane, Ilse Mullner, Johannes Taschner, Clive Marsh, J. Cheryl Exum, and David Jasper.

In this guest-edited issue of Biblical Reception, edited by Diane Apostolos-Cappadona, contributors examine the reception of the bible in art. Most of the contributions focus on biblical women, or on encounters with women in the bible. The volume is roughly chronological in structure, beginning with two pieces on Eve, one of which compares representations of Eve with those of the Virgin Mary, the other which considers how Eve is presented in Islamic texts and images. Following a contribution on Esther and Sarah the volume moves on to consider New Testament texts, with notable focus on women at the peripheries of society (the woman with the hemorrhage in Mark's gospel and the woman of Samaria). Attention is also paid to representations of Mary Magdalene and of Judith and Salome. The volume concludes with a piece on apocalyptic imagery and the woman clothed with the sun of Revelation 12. Featuring over 50 high quality color images, this volume provides scholarship of the highest level on biblical art.