First-Degree Incest and the Hebrew Bible: Sex in the Family

Description

'Incest' refers to illegal sexual relations between family members. Its precise contours, however, are culturally specific. Hence, an illegal incestuous union in one social context may be a legal close-kin union in another. First-degree sexual unions, between a parent and child, or between siblings, are most widely prohibited and abhorred. This book discusses all overt and covert first-degree incest relations in the Hebrew Bible and also probes the significance of gaps and what these imply about projected sexual and social values. As the dominant opinion on the origin of first-degree incest continues to be shaped, new voices such as those of queer and post-feminist criticism have joined the conversation. It navigates not only the incest laws of Leviticus and the narratives of Lot and his daughters and of Amnon and Tamar but pursues subtler intimations of first-degree sexual unions, such as between Adam and his (absent but arguably implied) mother, Haran and Terah's wife, Ham and Noah. In pursuing the psycho-social values that may be drawn from the Hebrew Bible regarding first-degree incest, this book will provide a thorough review of incest studies from the early 20th century onward and explain and assess the contribution of very recent critical approaches from queer and post-feminist perspectives.

Johanna Stiebert is Associate Professor in Hebrew Bible at the University of Leeds, UK. Her publications include The Construction of Shame in the Hebrew Bible (2002) and Fathers and Daughters in the Hebrew Bible (2013).

The judicious and fair nature of First Degree Incest and the Hebrew Bible makes this book a valuable resource for the reader of any ideological background who is interested in a detailed and fair examination of household relationships and sex within the Hebrew Bible... Stiebert's text is essential reading for those researching sex and the family within the Hebrew Bible. * Reading Religion * Stiebert deftly succeeds in examining a difficult subject in a sensitive manner. This is a well-documented study, full of important insights. * Journal for the Study of the Old Testament * This monograph is necessary for any and all persons exploring the topic of sexual relations in the biblical text or for those who are interested in applying the aforementioned methodologies in their research and are looking for a framework from which to operate moving forward. * Reviews in Religion and Theology * Johanna Steibert's work is a careful and comprehensive academic exploration of sexualized relations between "first-degree" or primary relatives in the Hebrew Bible. * Biblical Interpretation *