159 pages : 25 cm
"The story of Jacob and Esau is told in the book of Genesis. With his mother's help, Jacob impersonates his hairy older twin by dressing in Esau's clothes and covering his own hands and the nape of his neck with the hairy hide of goats. Fooled by this ruse, their blind father, Isaac, is tricked into giving the younger son the blessing of the firstborn. This is only one of many biblical stories in which hair plays a pivotal role. In recent years, there has been an explosion of scholarly interest in the relationship between culture and the body. Hair plays an integral role in the way we represent and identify ourselves. The way we treat our hair has to do with aesthetics, social structure, religious identity, and a host of other aspects of culture. In societies modern and ancient, the hairdo is one key to a group's cultural code. In ancient Israel, hair signifies important features of identity with respect to gender, ethnicity, and holiness. Susan Niditch seeks a deeper understanding of Israelite culture as expressed, shaped, and reinforced in images of hair. Among her examples is the tradition's most famous long-haired hero, Samson. The hair that assures Samson's strength is a common folktale motif, but is also important to his sacred status as a Nazirite. Niditch examines the meaning of the Nazirite identity held by Samuel as well as Samson arguing that long hair is involved in a complex set of cultural assumptions about men, warrior status, and divine election. In addition to biblical texts, Niditch looks at pictorial and other material evidence. She concludes by examining the troubling texts in which men impose hair cutting or loosening upon women, revealing much about attitudes to women and their place in Israelite culture. Much has been written on the presentation of the body in various literatures, including the Bible, but the role of hair in ancient Israel has been neglected. This book charts a new path for studies on the body, religion, and culture"--Publisher description
Includes bibliographical references (pages 141-150) and indexes
Hair in material culture and art of the ancient Near East -- Samson : maleness, charisma, warrior status, and hair -- Nazirite vow : domesticating charisma and recontextualizing hair -- Absent hair -- Letting down her hair or cutting it off : the ritual trial of a woman accused of adultery and the transformation of the female other

Susan Niditch

Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

German Historical Institute London

New York: Oxford University Press

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

Illustrated, 1, PT, 2008

Oxford, ©2008

Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-150) and indexes.

In This Work, Susan Niditch Seeks A Deeper Understanding Of Israelite Culture As Expressed, Shaped And Reinforced In Images Of Hair - A Complex Symbol Drawn From The Body. In Addition To Biblical Texts, Niditch Looks At Pictorial Representations Of Hair And Other Material Evidence. Hair In Material Culture And Art Of The Ancient Near East -- Samson : Maleness, Charisma, Warrior Status, And Hair -- Nazirite Vow : Domesticating Charisma And Recontextualizing Hair -- Absent Hair -- Letting Down Her Hair Or Cutting It Off : The Ritual Trial Of A Woman Accused Of Adultery And The Transformation Of The Female Other. Susan Niditch. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 141-150) And Indexes.

In this book, Susan Niditch seeks a deeper understanding of Israelite culture as expressed, shaped and reinforced in images of hair - a complex symbol drawn from the body. In addition to the biblical texts, Niditch looks at pictorial representations of hair and other material evidence.

2023-06-28