Constructing the Human in the Hebrew Bible

While animals in the Hebrew Bible have received significant scholarly attention, the category of the human has remained underexamined. Constructing the Human in the Hebrew Bible addresses this gap by interrogating how biblical authors construct, reinforce, and challenge notions of humanness, focusing on the implications for identity, ethics, and ideological frameworks. Drawing on critical theories from thinkers such as Jacques Derrida, Donna Haraway, and Giorgio Agamben, Tanner E. Walker reveals how biblical texts actively negotiate the boundaries between human and animal, divine and mortal, and self and other. Through case studies on creation narratives, divine-human hybrids like Samson, and depictions of Israel as subjugated animals under imperial rule, Walker highlights how biblical conceptions of humanness are deeply tied to questions of power, otherness, and the hierarchical organization of the world. He also situates the Hebrew Bible within the broader ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern traditions, exploring how biblical ideas of humanness intersect with Mesopotamian and Assyrian sources. Blending biblical studies, ancient history, and critical theory, this book provides a nuanced understanding of how ancient texts grapple with the complexities of identity. A vital resource for scholars and students of biblical studies, religious studies, and ancient history, this book challenges long-held assumptions about identity and categorization and contributes to broader conversations about how societies construct and impose categories—insights that remain profoundly relevant in contemporary debates about identity, power, and the boundaries of the human.