Gender, Creation Myths and their Reception in Western Civilization

Lisa Maurice is Associate Professor in the Department of Classical Studies at Bar-Ilan University, Israel. Tovi Bibring is Associate Professor in the Department of French Studies at Bar-Ilan University, Israel.

• List of ContributorsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsIntroduction (Lisa Maurice, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)I. Visual Symbolism: The Iconography of Creation1. The Use of Prometheus as an exemplar in Third Century Rome (John Bradley,Royal Holloway, University of London, UK)2. Innocent in Sense and in Body: Adam and Eve in their Mandorlas (5th century - 13th century) (Isabelle Mathian, Ecole du Louvre, France)3. Prometheus Plasticator: Receptions of the Creation mytheme in Art (Jared A. Simard, New York University, USA)II. Creation Narratives as a Model for Marriage 4. Eve and Pandora – Myths in Dialogue (Thierry Alcoloumbre, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)5. Tempting Treasures and Seductive Snakes: Presenting Eve and Pandora for the Youngest Readers (Lisa Maurice, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)6. Thematic Intercultural Correspondence on the Creation of the Perfect Woman and the Falling in Love with Her (Ovid, Ibn Hazam, Ibn Hasdai, Ibn Zakbel and Alharizi) (Revital Refael-Vivante, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)III. Pandora, Eve and the Feminine Ideal7. Adam and Eve: Reflections on a Relationship (Roslyn Weiss, Lehigh University, USA)8. Eve, the First Woman: On Choice and Responsibility (Yael Shemesh, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)9. Absolving Eve: Medieval Women Writers Remodelling the Creation and the Fall (Tovi Bibring, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)IV. Ideological Manipulations of the Creation Narrative10. A Story of Adam and Eve for Soviet Children and Adults: The Divine Comedy, a Puppet-Show Based on the Bible. (Hava B. Korzakova, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)11. Gender Archetypes and National Agendas in the Hebrew Creation Myth of the Daffodil (Vered Tohar, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)12. Genesis 3:15 and 16 and the State of Israel (Susan Weiss, Centre for Women’s Justice, Israel)V. Reinterpreting the Creation Narratives: Post-Modern Readings13. ‘The Beautiful Trap Inside Us’: Pandoran Science Fiction & Posthuman Personhood (Benjamin Eldon Stevens, Trinity University, USA)14. Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and the Human Pandora (Edmund Cueva, University of Houston-Downtown, USA)15. Pandora’s Split: Reading the Myth of Pandora in Cruel Beauty (Lily Glasner, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)16. Adam the Alien, Eve the Robot: The Reinterpretation of Adam, Eve, Prometheus and Pandora in Japanese Manga and Anime (Ayelet Peer, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)Conclusion (Lisa Maurice and Tovi Bibring, Bar-Ilan University, Israel)NotesBibliographyIndex

I would recommend this collection of well-researched essays to interested and curious scholars and educators hoping to learn more about how the “West” has understood our beginnings as humans and as engendered beings.