Among the most challenging biblical figures to understand is Jeroboam son of Nebat, the first monarch of northern Israel whose story is told in 1 Kings 11-14. This book explores the characterization of Jeroboam in the Hebrew text, and traces his rags to riches career trajectory. What are the circumstances whereby this widow's son is elevated to the position of king, with a conditional promise for a lasting dynasty? A close reading of the narrative reveals a literary achievement of great subtlety and complexity. Even though he becomes the negative standard for the rest of Israel's royal history, Jeroboam's portrait is far more nuanced than is often realized and yields a host of surprises for the engaged reader. Numerous issues are raised in the 1 Kings 11-14 material, including questions of power, leadership, and the role of the prophetic office in national affairs. Against the grain of conventional interpretation that tends to idealize or vilify biblical characters, Keith Bodner's study locates the arrival of Jeroboam's kingship as a direct response to scandalous activity within the Solomonic empire.
Reviews
Keith Bodner has written a fresh and creative study of the Jeroboam account in Kings. He provides a masterful literary study of the Jeroboam narrative and then uses that reading as a base for discussing the social background of the story. His work opens up the biblical text for the modern reader and in the process sheds light on contemporary religious and social problems of the same sort that concerned the ancient biblical authors. This is a fascinating and important study. * Robert R. Wilson, Hoober Professor of Religious Studies and Professor of Old Testament, Yale University *


Awards
Winner of Awarded the 2013 R.B.Y. Scott award - offered annually by the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies in recognition of an outstanding book in the areas of Hebrew Bible and/or the Ancient Near East..



Book Information
ISBN 9780199601875
Author Keith Bodner
Format Hardback
Page Count 178
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 326g
Dimensions(mm) 212mm * 141mm * 17mm