�Resolviendo�: Narratives of Survival in the Hebrew Bible and in Cuba Today 9781453901021, 1453901027
The story of Rahab (Joshua 2) has traditionally been interpreted as the account of a foreign woman and prostitute who ch
125 41 2MB
English Pages 119 [136] Year 2011
Table of contents :
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EDITOR’S PREFACE IX
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XI
INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER ONE RESOLVIENDO AS A REALITY AND A HERMENEUTICAL LENS 5
Key Features of Resolviendo 8
Limit or Boundary Situation 8
Preserving Life at Any Cost 9
Awareness of Present Reality 10
Openness to Face a Limit Situation 11
Sadness and Suffering as Part of Resolviendo 11
Taking Small Steps to Survive Today 12
Women and Men Resolviendo 13
Prostitution or “Selling the Body” for Survival 15
Women and Children’s Survival 17
Humor as a Way of Survival 19
CHAPTER TWO TRAVELING TO AND IN THE TEXT 23
Methodological Approaches 23
Traveling in the Text 27
Men and Women in the Hebrew Bible 27
Status of Men and Women in Ancient Israel 32
The Israelite Family 34
Women’s Realities in Pre-Monarchic and Monarchy Times 36
CHAPTER THREE JOSHUA 2:1–23: THE STORY OF RAHAB 39
Traveling in the Text 39
Traditional Reading of the Rahab’s Story 39
Prostitution in Ancient Israel 41
Zônâh in the Hebrew Bible and in the Rahab Story 43
Understanding the Characters’ World: Gender and Social Status 46
Joshua, the King, the King’s Messengers, and God 46
The Spies 47
Rahab 49
Understanding Survival through Narrative Criticism 52
Plot 52
Narrator 53
Time 55
Space 57
Traveling from the Text 60
Rahab and Resolver: The Struggle for Life 60
CHAPTER FOUR JUDGES 4:1–23: THE STORY OF JAEL 63
Traveling in the Text 63
Traditional Reading of the Jael’s Story 63
Understanding the Characters’ World: Gender and Social Status 66
King Jabin, Barak, and Heber 66
Sisera 67
Jael 68
Understanding Survival through Narrative Criticism 76
Plot 76
Narrator 76
Time 78
Internal Time or Narrated Time 79
Space 80
Traveling from the Text 82
Jael and Resolver: The Struggle for Life 82
CHAPTER FIVE JUDGES 10:6–12:7: THE STORY OF JEPHTHAH AND HIS DAUGHTER 87
Traveling in the Text 87
Traditional Reading of the Jephthah’s Story 87
Understanding the Characters’ World: Gender and Social Status in the Hebrew Bible 90
Jephthah 92
Jephthah’s Vow 94
Jephthah’s Daughter 95
Understanding Survival through Narrative Criticism 100
Plot 100
Narrator 101
Time 102
Space 104
Traveling from the Text 105
Jephthah and His Daughter’s Resolver 105
Conclusions 108
BIBLIOGRAPHY 113
