Remembering Biblical Figures in the Late Persian and Early Hellenistic Periods Social Memory and Imagination

The book examines the range of associations and symbolic values evoked by twenty-one biblical figures when viewed across the range of biblical books that eventually formed an authoritative collection for the emergent Jewish community. The figures are grouped under ancestors and founders, kings, female characters, and prophets. The introduction and the concluding essay deal more specifically with theoretical and methodological issues that arise from analysing theHebrew Bible in the framework of memory studies. By viewing these biblical figures as sites of group memory for members of the ancient religious community of Israel, one better understands how thestories contained in the texts perpetuate selected memories deemed central for on-going group identity and values and how the characters involved in those memories create sometimes limited and sometimes complex networks of associations that aid in creating and reinforcing shared memories.