Mothers of Promise

The women in Genesis played a vital part in shaping Israel's foundation, growth, and development, but most exegetes have not given the women adequate attention--until now. Through a fresh, close reading, respected Hebrew scholar Tammi Schneider examines the roles and functions of these women who, with the men, form the basis for the future of Israel.Schneider looks at each woman's story from various angles and within the context of her relationships and the message of Genesis as a whole. Allowing the details of the text to challenge traditional readings, Schneider also includes ancient Near Eastern background material and archaeological insights for a fresh reading of familiar stories. The result is a creative and reliable discussion to supplement studies of Genesis and the roles and importance of women in the Bible."You might be tempted to think that over the past couple of decades everything that could be said about the women in Genesis has been said. Tammi Schneider shows that this is not so, bringing a whole new set of questions and making it possible for us to see some quite new things."--John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary"With remarkable clarity, precise detail, lucid thought, comprehensive research, and careful attention to text and translation, Tammi Schneider offers scholars and students a marvelous and intriguing volume that brings to life the women of Genesis. This beautifully crafted text raises new questions and presents new insights, especially with regard to the male characters in Genesis. Schneider's work makes a brilliant contribution to the field of biblical and gender studies."--Carol J. Dempsey, associate professor of theology, University of Portland"Tammi Schneider has marshaled impressive amounts of raw data to re-examine two dozen female characters in the book of Genesis. Using an innovative method that focuses primary attention on the precise wording of each woman's appearance(s) in Genesis, Schneider investigates each character with both passion and rigor. Readers who have grown too complacent in their putative understandings of these literary figures will find fresh breezes rustling every page of this study."--R. Christopher Heard, associate professor of religion, Pepperdine UniversitySchneider, Tammi J. is the author of 'Mothers of Promise', published 2008 under ISBN 9780801029493 and ISBN 080102949X.