Sisters at Sinai : New Tales Of Biblical Women

This is an exceptional anthology of 24 stories about the women in the Bible. Drawing from the ancient tradition of midrash, the author brings to life the inner world and the experiences of these women, weaving rabbinic legends and her own imagination into the biblical texts. Readers will discover Lilith -- not as the night demon alluded to in Isaiah, but as another aspect of Eve herself. Sarah is a moon priestess and as great a prophet as Abraham. Miriam is not merely a figure of song and dance, but also one of revelation, a source of Torah. These stories were written to give biblical women the honor they deserve –due to them as prophets, rulers, and teachers. The Introduction to Sisters at Sinai offers the rationale and the need for midrash – the writing in the margins – expressing how it can be liberating as well as deeply comforting. Perfect for women's studies courses, adult study groups, confirmation classes and book groups. "In these pages we are reintroduced to some of the most complex and intriguing people in the Bible. Drawing from the ancient tradition of midrash - creative interpretation that elaborates upon the sparse details of the biblical text Hammer brings to life the inner world and experiences of these women and men, weaving in both rabbinic legends and her own vivid imagination.". "The stories are set in a world of myth and mystery in which the spiritual powers of the characters come alive. There is Lilith, who is not the night demon alluded to in Isaiah, but another aspect of Eve herself. There is Sarah, a moon priestess and as great a prophet as Abraham. The Leah here does not marry Jacob through her father's tricks; rather it is Jacob himself who arranges the union because he knows he will need her wisdom and compassion to become a great patriarch. And Miriam is not merely a figure of song and dance, but also one of revelation, a source of Torah." "We learn what happens when Lot's wife, Idit, who had been turned into a pillar of salt, dissolves in water and is freed to find her husband and daughters. We read about the fairy-tale story of Miriam's daughter Achsah and her future husband, Otniel, as well as Queen Vashti's rebellion against her husband, Ahasuerus.". "And there are more tales...of Reishit, companion to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam at the Sea of Reeds; Rachav and her husband, Joshua, in Jericho; Yael and the great prophet and judge Deborah; Dinah, daughter of Leah and sister of Joseph and his brothers; the great musician Serach, who inherits David's famous harp; of Avishag, who warmed King David as he lay dying, and of Tamar and Judah."--BOOK JACKET. "In these pages we are reintroduced to some of the most complex and intriguing people in the Bible. Drawing from the ancient tradition of midrash - creative interpretation that elaborates upon the sparse details of the biblical text Hammer brings to life the inner world and experiences of these women and men, weaving in both rabbinic legends and her own vivid imagination." "The stories are set in a world of myth and mystery in which the spiritual powers of the characters come alive. There is Lilith, who is not the night demon alluded to in Isaiah, but another aspect of Eve herself. There is Sarah, a moon priestess and as great a prophet as Abraham. The Leah here does not marry Jacob through her father's tricks; rather it is Jacob himself who arranges the union because he knows he will need her wisdom and compassion to become a great patriarch. And Miriam is not merely a figure of song and dance, but also one of revelation, a source of Torah." "We learn what happens when Lot's wife, Idit, who had been turned into a pillar of salt, dissolves in water and is freed to find her husband and daughters. We read about the fairy-tale story of Miriam's daughter Achsah and her future husband, Otniel, as well as Queen Vashti's rebellion against her husband, Ahasuerus." "And there are more tales ... of Reishit, companion to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam at the Sea of Reeds; Rachav and her husband, Joshua, in Jericho; Yael and the great prophet and judge Deborah; Dinah, daughter of Leah and sister of Joseph and his brothers; the great musician Serach, who inherits David's famous harp; of Avishag, who warmed King David as he lay dying, and of Tamar and Judah." This is an exceptional anthology of 24 stories about the women in the Bible. Drawing from the ancient tradition of midrash, the author brings to life the inner world and the experiences of these women, weaving rabbinic legends and her own imagination into the biblical texts. Readers will discover Lilith—not as the night demon alluded to in Isaiah, but as another aspect of Eve herself. Sarah is a moon priestess and as great a prophet as Abraham. Miriam is not merely a figure of song and dance, but also one of revelation, a source of Torah. These stories were written to give biblical women the honor they deserve—due to them as prophets, rulers, and teachers. The Introduction to Sisters at Sinai offers the rationale and the need for midrash - the writing in the margins - expressing how it can be liberating as well as deeply comforting. Perfect for women’s studies courses, adult study groups, confirmation classes and book groups. This collection of 24 stories about women in the Bible draws from the ancient tradition of Midrash; it brings to life the inner world and experiences of these characters, weaving both rabbinic legends and the author's own imagination into the biblical texts. Readers will discover Lilith, Eve, Leah, Miriam, and many other notable women. Jill Hammer's introduction reveals the need and rationale for Midrash-the writing in the margins-and how it can be liberating as well as deeply comforting. Commentary includes a list of biblical texts and rabbinic sources, and an explanation of how the story came to be written and why