Keith Bodner
Keith Bodner is Professor of Religious Studies at Crandall University in New Brunswick, and has studied at the University of Aberdeen and the University of Manchester. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, and is a former section chair (Bakhtin and the Biblical Imagination) for the Society of Biblical Literature. His 2008 book 1 Samuel: A Narrative Commentarywas awarded the R. B. Y. Scott Award from the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies. His recent books include The Artistic Dimension (T & T Clark, 2013) and The Rebellion of Absalom (Routledge, 2014), as well as articles for reference works such as the Biographical Dictionary of Women Biblical Interpreters and The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Law. With an interest in literary criticism, he has also written three volumes for Oxford University Press: Jeroboam’s Royal Drama (2012), The Double Agent (2014), and After the Invasion (2015).
Presenter at
Bible & Archaeology Fest XIX, November 18 – 20, 2016
Another Ark? The Story of Exodus 1-2
In the opening segment of Exodus the Israelites are cruelly oppressed, and the tyrannical king orders that newborn males be cast into the Nile river. However, a bold mother hides her child from the king’s edict, and eventually prepares “an ark of bulrushes” to protect the boy from drowning. The only other place the term “ark” (tevah) occurs is Genesis 6-8, in the story of Noah’s ark. This presentation will explore the correspondence between these narratives in the midst of a study of Exodus 1-2.
Bible & Archaeology Fest XVIII, November 20 – 22, 2015
The Bad News Bears (and other highlights from the career of Elisha the prophet)
After the fiery departure of his master, Elisha begins his long career of finishing what Elijah has started: the dismantling of the house of Ahab during a dark and turbulent period of Israelite history. An early episode in Elisha’ career involves a shockingly brief and violent confrontation, loosely translated as follows: “He went up from there to Bethel, and as he was going up on the road some little lads marched out from the city and jeered him. They said to him, ‘Go up baldy! Go up baldy!’ He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears marched out from the forest and tore up forty-two of them, youths. He walked off from there to Mt Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.” It should occasion no surprise that this scene has been subject to quite different kinds of interpretation over the centuries. In this presentation we will explore the context of this incident with the hope that some further light can be shed on its role within the wider career of Elisha.
Selected Books by Keith Bodner
- Elisha's Profile in the Book of Kings: The Double Agent
- National Insecurity: A Primer on the First Book of Samuel
- Power Play: A Primer on the Second Book of Samuel
- 1 Samuel: A Narrative Commentary
- Jeroboam's Royal Drama
- The Rebellion of Absalom
- The Artistic Dimension: Literary Explorations of the Hebrew Bible
