Contents; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1 The King's Grace and the Helpless Woman: Ruth, Charila, Sita; 2 Religious Ideals and the Distribution of Cereal Grains in the Hebrew Bible; 3 The Enemy King Is a Monster: A Biblical Equation; 4 The Story of Deborah and Barak: A Comparative Approach; 5 Charismatic Possession and Monarchic Rationalization: The Folly of Saul; 6 Specialists of the Supernatural in the Hebrew Bible; 7 Healers and Saviors of the Eastern Mediterranean in Preclassical Times; 8 Biblical Narrative and the Ancient Novel: Common Motifs and Themes
9 Prophecy and Writing in the Ancient Near East10 Making Room for the Written Law; Index
Summary
This collection of essays examines the respective religious and social functions of kings and prophets as they are presented in the biblical narratives. Biblical kingship is easily shown to be a specific instance of an ancient and widespread institution--sacred monarchy--that was the pivot of most state organizations throughout antiquity; prophetic authority is described as a typical institution of ancient Hebrew society. The difference between monarchy and prophecy is radical, because the former implies a hereditary power and is upheld by its subjects who feed their kings with taxes, while th
