Table of Contents

Contents List of Figures List of Abbreviations Notes on Contributors Introduction - Joan E. Taylor, King's College London, UK 1: The Body Inscribed: A Priestly Initiative - Sandra Jacobs, King's College London, UK 2: Queering the Body: Un-desiring Sex in Leviticus - Steffan Mathias, King's College London, UK 3. Ritualized Bodies in the Valley of Dry Bones (Ezek 37.1-14) - Casey Strine, University of Sheffield, UK 4. ‘Two by two’: The Ark-etypal Language of Mark’s Apostolic Pairings - Joan Taylor, King's College London, UK 5. Jesus’ Gentile healings: The Absence of Physical Contact and the Requirement of Faith - Rebecca Harrocks, King's College London, UK 6. ‘This is my Body’: Jewish Blessing or Thyestean Banquet? - Katie Turner, King's College London, UK 7. How are the Dead Raised? The Resurrection of the Dead as a Bodily Phenomenon in Second Temple Jewish Writings - Daniel Hayter, King's College London, UK 8. Flesh for Franken-whore: Reading Babylon’s Body in Revelation 17 - Michelle Fletcher, King's College London, UK 9. Can a Body Change? Josephus’ Attitude to Circumcision and Conversion - Davina Grojnowski, King's College London, UK 10. The Acts of Paul and Thecla: Violating the Inviolate Body – Thecla Uncut - Rosie Ratcliffe, King's College London, UK 11. The Fire and the Flesh: Self-Destruction of the Male Rabbinic Body - Laliv Clenman, King's College London, UK Bibliography Index

Promotional Information

An innovative exploration of diverse perspectives on the enculturated body in religious literature.

About the Author

Joan E. Taylor is the prize-winning author of Christians and the Holy Places, and a leading authority on the Jewish world of Jesus, including women within that world. She is Professor of Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism at King's College London, UK.

Reviews

This is a fascinating collection of essays ... The collection of works by these scholars associated with the King’s College in London offers readers a vivid portrait of current approaches to the interpretation of biblical texts and texts rooted in the biblical world.
*Journal of Theological Studies*

This is not only an important volume but also a quite enjoyable read with interesting and sometimes surprising insights ... The editor and the authors have produced an important work providing new and significant insights on numerous body-related issues. The work is heartily recommended for anyone interested in biblical studies, ancient Judaism, and early Christianity. It is hoped that the contributors to this volume will continue to enrich the scholarly community with new studies on the body.
*Review of Biblical Literature*

Not only is its textual scopewide ranging (Leviticus to Josephus and Ezekiel to Thecla), the techniques deployed in the analysis are similarly diverse. Whether it is through discussions of Frankenstein’s monster or via the application of Foucault philosophy, the reader has much with which to engage. Thus, what emerges is actually a very interdisciplinary volume, and what makes the book succeed is the sheer variety of material consulted.
*Reviews in Religion and Theology*

The book is nicely balanced and covers depictions of the body from biblical to rabbinical thought ... I was able to use the volume as an accessible reference tool. The book as a whole is original in scope ... Michelle Fletcher in chapter 8 provides an innovative and comparative analysis of the whore of Babylon alongside Frankenstein's monsters ... The volumes provides a wealth of material and it is certain to encourage and renew interest into this fascination and under-researched area of work.
*Journal of Semitic Studies*