An Ark on the Nile
Beginning of the Book of Exodus
Keith Bodner
Reviews and Awards
"In this narrative analysis, Bodner offers many literary observations and identifies a multitude of connections between Exodus 1-2 and other biblical texts." -- David A. Bosworth, Catholic Biblical Quarterly
"Fluently written and painstakingly researched, Bodner has successfully shed new light on often-neglected connections between Exodus 1-2 and other biblical texts: this on its own is a commendable achievement. After all, Exodus 1-2 is part of one of the most foundational events in the Judeo-Christian heritage and hence a frequent site for scholarly endeavor and creative imagination I recommend it to any student of this important passage."--Kirsi Cobb, Reading Religion
"[Bodner's] primary purpose is to demonstrate the hermeneutical fecundity of a literary approach focused on the text's final form. Within these parameters, Bodner clearly succeeds. This brief but packed volume demonstrates the richness of biblical narrative in general, the strategic importance of Exodus 1-2 in particular, and the enduring value of close readings of scriptural texts."--Ched Spellman, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
"Keith Bodner has written an insightful literary-critical study of Exodus 1-2, mining the many aesthetic elements such as irony, characterization, plot reversals, point of view, as well as the rich intertextual relationships that emerge from the narrative. Through the journey he draws the readers into the larger theoretical notion of beginnings of a literary work, exploring to what extent the opening chapters of Exodus represent the ideological beginning of the book of Exodus."-- Thomas B. Dozeman, Professor at the United Theological Seminary
"Informed by recent developments in literary theory, An Ark on the Nile offers a highly creative, intertextual reading of Exodus 1-2. Bodner demonstrates well the extent to which an attentive reader can find deep connections between these chapters and the foregoing stories in Genesis as well as the unfolding narratives in Exodus and beyond. In so doing, he sheds important light on these texts' enduring impact."-- Jeffrey Stackert, Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible, University of Chicago