Ritual Violence in the Hebrew Bible

Saul M. Olyan is the Samuel Ungerleider Jr. Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of Religious Studies at Brown University. The primary focus of his current research is a book entitled "Friendship in the Hebrew Bible," to be published by Yale University Press. His next book will focus on representations of ritual violence in biblical texts.

• "Introduction: Ritual Violence in the Hebrew Bible," Saul M. Olyan, Brown University ; "What Ends Might Ritual Violence Accomplish? The Case of Rechab and Baanah in 2 Samuel 4," Debra Scoggins Ballentine, Rutgers University ; "Dispossessing Nations: Population Growth, Scarcity, and Genocide in Ancient Israel and Twentieth-Century Rwanda," T. M. Lemos, Huron University College, University of Western Ontario ; "Between Politics and Mythology: Josiah's Assault on Bethel in 2 Kgs 23:15-20," Mark Leuchter, Temple University ; "Cognitive Perspectives on Iconoclasm," Nathaniel B. Levtow, University of Montana, Missoula ; "'The Traffic in Women': Exchange, Ritual Sacrifice, and War," Susan Niditch, ; Amherst College ; "The Instrumental Dimensions of Ritual Violence Against Corpses in Biblical Texts," Saul M. Olyan, Brown University ; "Establishing Communitas: Royal Rites of Military Loyalty and their Socio-Religious Function," Rudiger Schmitt, Westfalisch Wilhelms-Universitat Munster ; "Urbicide: The Ritualized Killing of Cities in the Ancient Near East," Jacob L. Wright, Emory University

This diverse collection is loosely unified only in that all have something to say about ritual violence as described at the top. The articles use a range of methods, and lean toward narrative texts. All are well written, and everything here will appeal to someone. Ritual Violence is a nice book to have around.