This book traces the diverse ways in which overlooked forms of cultural media, existing outside the sphere of 'popular culture, interact with the Bible. Supporting the theory that there is no singular 'Bible' and that biblical literacy is demonstrated in a multitude of ways outside of biblical text alone, those who contribute to this book explore precisely how which multiple 'cultural Bibles' co-exist simultaneously, in various forms which represent, allude to, perpetuate, challenge or subvert biblical narratives and the Bible. Such perspectives demonstrate the means by which the Bible continues to inform culture outside of the religious. Beginning with an introductory analysis of the Bible in visual cultural media - including definitions of what 'culture', 'subculture', 'counterculture' and 'popular culture' mean in this respect - the contributors explore the myriad methods in which cultural media represents, alludes to, challenges, questions and troubles biblical narratives. By discussing topics gathered under depictions of sex and gender, troubling and whitewashed representations, biblical allusions in subcultural media, and subverting or challenging biblical authority, this volume offers new studies on subcultural representations of the Bible which seek to interrogate, perpetuate and/or challenge dominant cultural ideas of what the Bible is, and who it is for.

This volume presents a range of methodologically innovative treatments on ritual action in the Hebrew Bible. They treat a diverse range of ritual phenomena, including space, blessings and oath-taking, from the world of ancient Israel and Judah. The introduction engages with the dominant scholarly models drawn from ritual theory, and the volume explores their applicability to ancient textual material such as the Hebrew Bible. The chapters reflect high-level specialized engagement with specific ritual phenomena through the lens of appropriate theoretical and methodological approaches.

The first in the series, Getting Started in Road Cycling is designed to guide you through the beginning of your journey as a cyclist. The book features practical advice from an impressive cast of expert contributors. There's riding tips from Giro d'Italia winner Andy Hampsten and cyclocross star Helen Wyman while expert mechanic Sam Humpheson provides guidance on maintenance. Carefully collated by Guy Andrews and accompanied by the marvellous illustrations of Laura Quick, the advice answers the frequently asked questions of those new to the sport. How to choose a bike? What to wear? How to fix a puncture? What's a chamois pad? This book will be the antidote to much of what may be bewildering and help you out day after day.

This study considers the relationship of Deuteronomy 28 to the curse traditions of the ancient Near East. It focuses on the linguistic and cultural means of the transmission of these traditions to the book of Deuteronomy. Laura Quick examines a broad range of materials, including Old Aramaic inscriptions, attempting to show the value of these Northwest Semitic texts as primary sources to reorient our view of an ancient world usually seen through a biblical or Mesopotamian lens. By studying these inscriptions alongside the biblical text, Deuteronomy 28 and the Aramaic Curse Tradition increases our knowledge of the early history and function of the curses in Deuteronomy 28. This has implications for our understanding of the date of the composition of the book of Deuteronomy, and the reasons behind its production. The ritual realm which stands behind the use of curses and the formation of covenants in the biblical world is also explored, arguing that the interplay between orality and literacy is essential to understanding the function and form of the curses in Deuteronomy. This book contributes to our understanding of the book of Deuteronomy and its place within the literary history of ancient Israel and Judah, with implications for the composition of the Pentateuch or Torah as a whole.

Dress, Adornment, and the Body in the Hebrew Bible is the first monograph to treat dress and adornment in biblical literature in the English language. It moves beyond a description of these aspects of ancient life to encompass notions of interpersonal relationships and personhood that underpin practices of dress and adornment. Laura Quick explores the ramifications of body adornment in the biblical world, informed by a methodologically plural approach incorporating material culture alongside philology, textual exegesis, comparative evidence, and sociological models. Drawing upon and synthesizing insights from material culture and texts from across the eastern Mediterranean, the volume reconstructs the social meanings attached to the dressed body in biblical texts. It shows how body adornment can deepen understanding of attitudes towards the self in the ancient world. In Quick's reconstruction of ancient performances of the self, the body serves as the observed centre in which complex ideologies of identity, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and social status are articulated. The adornment of the body is thus an effective means of non-verbal communication, but one which at the same time is controlled by and dictated through normative social values. Exploring dress, adornment, and the body can therefore open up hitherto unexplored perspectives on these social values in the ancient world, an essential missing piece in understanding the social and cultural world which shaped the Hebrew Bible.

This volume presents a range of methodologically innovative treatments on ritual action in the Hebrew Bible. They treat a diverse range of ritual phenomena, including space, blessings and oath-taking, from the world of ancient Israel and Judah. The introduction engages with the dominant scholarly models drawn from ritual theory, and the volume explores their applicability to ancient textual material such as the Hebrew Bible. The chapters reflect high-level specialized engagement with specific ritual phenomena through the lens of appropriate theoretical and methodological approaches.