About the Book
Approaching the Bible in an original way—comparing biblical heroes to heroes in world literature—Elliott Rabin addresses core biblical questions: What is the Bible telling us about what it means to be a hero? Why do we need such heroes, possibly now more than ever?
Zooming into the lives of six major biblical characters—Moses, Samson, David, Esther, Abraham, and Jacob—Rabin examines their resemblance to hero types found in (and perhaps drawn from) other literatures, and analyzes why the Bible depicts its heroes less gloriously than other cultures:* Moses founds the nation—and is short-tempered and weak-armed.
* Samson can kill 1,000 enemies with his bare hands—and is arrogant and unhinged.
* Esther saves her people from a genocidal villain—and has married a murderous, misogynist king.
* Abraham is God’s close companion—and his human relationships are wracked with tension.
* Jacob fathers twelve tribes—and wins his inheritance through deceit.
* David establishes a centralized, unified, triumphal government—through pretense and self-deception.
* In the end, is God the real hero? Or is God too removed from human constraints for the “hero” appellation to apply?
Ultimately, Rabin excavates how the Bible’s unique perspective on heroism can address our own deep-seated need for human-scale heroes.
“In this passionate, erudite, beautifully written book, Elliott Rabin makes a compelling spiritual and literary case for the flawed biblical hero. Drawing on sources ranging from rabbinic commentators to Shakespeare, he reminds us why generations of Jews over the millennia have embraced the biblical heroes as contemporaries, urging human beings in all our brokenness to aspire to spiritual greatness.”
— Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem
Click here to read a Q&A about biblical heroes on the JPS website.
You can view a recording of the book launch and inaugural book talk here.
Media and Reviews:
Robert Cornwall’s review on his blog “Ponderings of a Faith Journey”
HIR Plans Book Launch of Elliott Rabin’s “The Biblical Hero”
