DRAWING ON contemporary feminist literary theory, this book critiques the dominant male voice of the biblical nar-ratives and constructs (sub) versions of women's stories from the submerged strains of their voices in men's stories. Among the biblical women represented are Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah, Jephthah's daughter, Samson's mother, Samson's Tiranite wife, Delilah, the levite's wife, Michal, and Bathsheba.

"Smart, witty, original, just look at the chapter titles, you get the taste of it. This is scholarship of the highest quality that reads like a novel. Exum makes biblical stories seem acutely relevant today. This book will seduce anybody into going along with feminism."
-MIEKE BAL The Sorbonne

"A creative and thoughtful book. The author combines the skills of the experienced biblicist with the liberating verve of feminist and other readerly approaches to produce a work rich in insight."
-SUSAN NIDITCH Amherst College