Revisiting Judges 19: A Gothic Perspective

This study deploys Gothic scholarship to illuminate one of the more harrowing passages of the Bible—the story of the Levite and his concubine in Judges 19. Reading this passage against familiar Gothic tropes of cannibalism, excess, abjection and mutilation, this study argues that the concubine'...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hock-Soon, Andrew (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2007
In: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Year: 2007, Volume: 32, Issue: 2, Pages: 199-215
Further subjects:B abjection
B homosocial panic
B Gothic scene
B travelling woman
B Cannibalism
B textual burial
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Electronic
Description
Summary:This study deploys Gothic scholarship to illuminate one of the more harrowing passages of the Bible—the story of the Levite and his concubine in Judges 19. Reading this passage against familiar Gothic tropes of cannibalism, excess, abjection and mutilation, this study argues that the concubine's victimization, at least as evidenced in the text, is effected to consolidate homosocial ties that have been disrupted when the first father-figure (the concubine's father) fails to preserve his paternal prerogative, thus giving way to the concubine's assertion of agency which intimidates the patriarchal system. As a 'male' gothic tale, such a feminine threat must be overcome, which justifies the text's cruel treatment of her.
ISSN:1476-6728
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0309089207085883