The Invention of Monotheist Ethics

About the Book

The Invention of Monotheist Ethics, Volume I presents a comprehensive analysis of the Biblical Book of Samuel. Usually taken to be a socio-political history of ancient Israel during a turbulent century of change, The Invention of Monotheist Ethics contends that beneath this surface level the true focus of Samuel is a profound appraisal of power, its seductive appeal and its drastic limitations. Thus Samuel emerges as a radical critique of our power-based world, and the way we, its inhabitants, order our lives. Taken together with the contention that the Book of Samuel was written by a woman, the Biblical book emerges as a woman's critique of a man's world. This assessment concludes by proposing an alternative to the world we know: a world based on care and concern. Relying on recent sociological studies, this work explores the ramifications of an ethic based on care rather than justice.

About the Author

Hillel I. Millgram currently resides in Jerusalem. He was born in the United States, was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and served in pulpits in the U.S. and Canada. He now combines research and writing with teaching graduate courses on the Bible. His last book, Three Biblical Heroines and the Case for Female Authorship, has been highly acclaimed. The Invention of Monotheist Ethics continues his explorations into the origins and deeper meaning of Biblical narrative.

Contents

List of Maps Foreword and Acknowledgements THE ROAD TO SAMUEL PROLOGUE: Breakthrough: A Woman Re-evaluates a Man's World ACT ONE: THE PROPHET 1. The Fall of the House of Eli 2. In the Still of the Night 3. Catastrophe - Excursus I: Israel in Canaan: How Did They Get There? 4. Odyssey: The Wanderings of the Lost Ark - Excursus II: How They Lived in Those Days 5. The Road Not Taken - Excursus III: The Problem of the Historian: How Did She Know? ACT TWO: THE PROPHET AND THE KING 6. The Coming of the King: The Anointing 7. The Coming of the King: The Proving - Excursus IV: In What Sort of Houses Did Samuel and Saul Live? 8. The Coming of the King: The Second War of Independence 9. The Prophet Armed ACT THREE: THE KING AND THE UPSTART 10. The Boy from Bethlehem 11. The Minefield 12. The Fugitive 13. The Wilderness Years: The Outlaw 14. The Wilderness Years: Search and Destroy - Excursus V: David in the Wilderness 15. The Wilderness Years: Abigail - Excursus VI: Why is There So Much Drinking Going On in the Bible? 16. The Wilderness Years: The Dramatist 17. Bitter Bread: In the Service of the Enemy 18. On a Darkling Plain

Reviews

the book is diverse in contents, characters and issues....Despite accessibility and diversity, readers may be most interested in Millgram's most provocative argument; he is convinced that the Book of Samuel was written by a woman....the book is a wonderful introduction to the Bible and a great source for those looking for an unorthodox approach to the book.

--- Janice Formichella; Feminist Review, May 28, 2010

A beautifully written exegesis…The Biblical characters come alive, and careful research and original translation clarify both the social structural, cultural, and psychological factors that contextualize the author's explanation…a significant contribution to our understanding of this biblical period both in terms of history and social science.

--- Judith Porter, Ph.D., professor emerita of sociology, Bryn Mawr College

[Millgram]…wonderfully integrates an explanation of the relevant historical background of the book and includes an analysis of the concepts necessary for a deep understanding of the text. The author also deliberates…the literary, historical and religious significance of Samuel…giv[ing] no little attention to the linguistic and textual problems in order to explain words, expressions and difficult concepts whose significance requires elucidation, comparing the text we have with those that exist in ancient translations of the Bible (the Septuagint, the Vulgate) or by examining the medieval Jewish commentaries and modern non-Jewish expositors. A unique work that every reader…will enjoy reading immensely, and…will learn much from it about this literary creation in particular, and about the Bible in general.

--- Shlomo Sharan, professor emeritus, Tel-Aviv University