The Hebrew Bible and art reside at the core of this book, which analyzes the iconographic representation of several women of the Bible. The contributors consider the ways in which the biblical texts regarding these women had been read and understood throughout time and the means by which they were represented. Each study also explores the different values associated with these representations according to the problems, worries and concerns of each period.
Drawing upon disciplines such as theology, philology or history of art, the essays within this volume provide a cross-sectional, plural and rich approach. In focusing upon iconographic representation, numerous visual cultures of the last millennium are explored, and special emphasis is placed upon several integral biblical women such as Bathsheba, Moses'' mother, the Pharaoh''s Daughter, Ruth, Naomi and Deborah, and their lasting influence upon Western art and culture. This book pursues an understanding of the history of the transmission and reception of the Bible in general, and of the women of the Old Testament in particular.