Ilana Pardes. The Biography of Anci...

Ilana Pardes. The Biography of Ancient Israel: National Narratives in the Bible. Berkeley: U of California P 2000 222 pp ISBN 0-520-21110-3 $2495

The traditions of ancient Israel preserv in the Hebrew Bible are rich in biography--stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs; tales of birth, maturation, marriage, adventure, and death; exploits of the swashbuckling chieftains called judges; careers of kings, prophets, and priests. The lives are framed in the formulaic and recurring patterns of oral-style lore, while the information provided is inherently metonymic and