Spencer, John R

English

John Carroll University

John Carroll UniversityCarroll Collected2018 Faculty Bibliography Faculty Bibliographies Community Homepage2018Heroines, Heroes and Deity: Three Narratives ofthe Biblical Heroic TraditionJohn R. SpencerJohn Carroll University, spencer@jcu.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://collected.jcu.edu/fac_bib_2018Part of the Religion CommonsThis Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Bibliographies Community Homepage at Carroll Collected. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in 2018 Faculty Bibliography by an authorized administrator of Carroll Collected. For more information, please contactconnell@jcu.edu.Recommended CitationSpencer, John R., "Heroines, Heroes and Deity: Three Narratives of the Biblical Heroic Tradition" (2018). 2018 Faculty Bibliography.50.https://collected.jcu.edu/fac_bib_2018/50DOLORES G. KAMRADA, Heroines, Heroes and Deity: Three Narratives of the Biblical Heroic Tradition (LHBOTS 621; London: Bloomsbury T &T Clark, 2016). Pp. xx viii + 204. $112.This volume is a revised dissertation from the University of Vienna. Three portionsof the book (about one-third) appeared previously in other volumes. This book is composed of five parts: "Introduction"; chap. 1, "The Sacrifice of Jephthah's Daughter"; chap. 2, "Hairy Samson: The Function of the Hair MotifiI1 the Samson Cycle"; chap. 3, "Urim and Thummim-Saul and David"; and "Closing Reflections." In addition, the volume includes u bibliography, an index of references (biblical and nonbiblical), and an index of authors.The introduction hricny discusses the three narratives under consideration: Judg 11 :29-40 (.il'ph1h 11h\ 1h11111h1t•r); .l11dgcs 13 1 6  (Samson), and I Samuel I; 9-11; 13-14; 28; \ I (Snul), 1.-111 h �111 v '" l111 1h1•1 11111ily1l'd in subsequent chapters. Kamrada looks at these lt·xls 11� �111  ll, 11I 111,!111d11,d- , t 111 11' 11111!1111 y, hl'llllt' l'onccxt" and representing the end of 1h1• "h1 •1 1 1h 11µ1 .. r (II Llt'III I ,1 II I 1111 1111·1l111 1 l1 1l1 111il'I I 11ppmlll'h d11 ws henvily 011 "folk-111111111111 11111 11 '"hhl1 i, 1111111n \\'111 1 111 1"11 111 1 11 h1l,lir11I 11111111 1 M M p;III of lh1•11 "cultural memoty." She acknowledges that the stories have multiple layers of editing and are products of a much later time than the periods they depict. Specifically, they ultimately reflect the hand of the Deuteronomistic Historian and his theology, but they are not fro111 the postexilic period. The Deuteronomistic Historian's theology is characterized by llu presence of the divine spirit, extermination of enemies (/:zerem), and divination (often Uri111 and Thummim). Furthermore, all of the main characters in these stories reflect herois111 exceptional physical abilities, a desire for success, and self-consciousness of their stat111, All of this leads to their potential (and real) downfall. Through all of this, K. seeks to sh<m how the stories have changed from "ritual coherence" (legendary stories of cultural m-:1 11 ory) to "textual coherence" (the written text). Chapter 2 deals with the story of Jephthah's daughter. For K. this is a story borrowl•d from an earlier, "well-known" folk story and later adapted by the Deuteronomistic Histo rian. It is the story of a woman who sacrifices herself for the sake of the community u11d thus is a heroine. To support this, K. claims that the daughter knew about her father's vo11 and thus died willingly to fulfill a "positive" /:zerem, which is accepted by Yhwh. Her cl-:111'1 is thus not condemned by the authors since it is "self-sacrifice." In addition, the daughll'I time away before her death (Judg 11:37-40) is claimed to be the basis of a female "p1l marital rite of passage" that became a ritual in the community. Jephthah himself is se-:11 n being overly ambitious in war and politics and ends up childless as his punishment. In the story of Samson, based on the folklore motif of the "wild man," K. tries 111 "demonstrate the basic similarity to a presumed 'original' (folk) story" (p. 68). To suppo1 I this she refers to stories about Heracles, J:;lumbaba, and Asherah and to the Hungarian 111111 Grimm brothers' folktales. Samson is given a miraculous birth, takes on characteristics 111 a Nazirite, and is linked to Yhwh. When he loses his hair, he also loses his connection w111 t Yhwh, although the link (divine spirit) is restored when his hair regrows. The chapter l'lld with K. seeking to build links between Samson and Jephthah's daughter. In chap. 3, K. seeks to connect Saul with Samson and Jephthath and then turns ntll•11 tion to the Urim and Thummim as vehicles of divination used in a "ritual context." Frn I it is a "binary" determination-yes or no: an Urim response means a curse; and a Thu1111111111 response means "without fault." She then argues that the lack of a response from Vi l \\ It (e.g., I Sam 14:37) should be understood as a no. The use ofUrim and Thummim (or"lot•, ) however, also involves options with no sense of curse, such as in the selection of S111il 11 king (I Sam 10:20-24). Furthermore, the withholding ofYhwh's word can be the n.:sull 1 11 sin in the community and not a no (1 Sam 14:37-46). In the last part of the chapter, K. 111111 at the connections with folktales, including a "male Cinderella" from Grimm, mat-:riul 1111111 Livy, and an "original" tale that had Saul getting a wife and a kingdom. Jt also discuss<•� 1111 understanding of Elohim as originally a "chthonic" god, based on the story in I SmlHll'I '>In the final, very brief chapter, K. argues for "original myths" reflecting "l'till111 ,il memory" that are used and adapted in these stories; connections among these thr-:c l'J111111d 1 as stories of an "ideal warrior" who experiences a downfall; and the end of thl.! "l'111HHh'1il age of heroes." She argues that, although David is a hero, he is different and docs 1101 np, rience either the separation from Yhwh or a downfall like his predecessors. The volume would have benefited from further editing The connections ill'l\\1•1·1 1 li t chapters sometimes seem an afterthought. An example is the double discussion nl S11111�111 1 birth in chaps. 2 and 3. Further, there are several smull lapscs, such ns till• l tH 'h ol 11 il111i lui one bibliographic entry ofMobl-:y and thi: clillk1ilt s1•11t1·1tt'l' 111 lhl• holln111 1 1 1 p. I Ir, More substantively, there is a problem with the continued claim that these stories rely on earlier folktales. That might be possible, but the evidence is sparse or lacking, especially when parallels are often from non-Israelite and later materials. It is therefore nearly impos­sible to see how the stories were changed if earlier versions are not extant. Another issue is the treatment of Saul. K. assumes that Saul's story is relatively correct and that Saul was condemned by his own actions. Other scholars would argue that the negative portrayal of Saul is the result of the Deuteronomistic Historian's manipulation of accounts (such as transferring the birth story to Samuel) to justify David's ascension to the throne, and that Saul was actually a positive character unjustifiably condemned by later Judean editors who supported the "southern" David rather than the "northern" Saul. Finally, the claim that Saul ends the "heroic" period seems to ignore the military conquests of David and his physical attributes ( cf. 1 Sam 16: I 2) and the expansion of the kingdom and building projects of Solomon. This volume has three interesting aspects to its presentation: the continual connecting of biblical stories to folklore motifs; the argument that these three "hero" accounts are linked; and the idea that the Saul cycle ends the "heroic" period of ancient Israel. Each is worthy of consideration and further research. John Spencer, AvenidaAlozdra, San Diego, CA 92128 

Heroines, Heroes and Deity:  Three Narratives of the Biblical Heroic Tradition

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Heroines, Heroes and Deity: Three Narratives of the Biblical Heroic Tradition

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