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In Potiphar's House: The Interpretive Life of Biblical Texts

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In Potiphar's House, The Interpretive LIfe of Biblical Texts by James Kugel.

One wonders how one can find material for a whole book on a single chapter 39 from Genesis, comprised of only 23 verses. But Robert Alter has called this chapter the most elegantly balanced chapter in all of Genesis. While Kugel's book may be the first, it is not the only book dedicated to this story, as Shalom Goldman's 'The Wiles of Women, The Wiles of Men' addresses exactly the same story, covering much of the same ground, but with enough differences to make both books worth reading if, as I did, you happen to be writing a paper on this Genesis chapter.

Goldman spends much of his space addressing influences to the story and parallels outside the realm of Jewish Midrash. Kugel limits himself to Jewish commentary, but covers it in more depth. In part II of his book, Kugel also addresses other Biblical themes which fall within his rubric of 'motifs'. His subjects there are the story of Lamech, Cain's great-great-great-grandson, who was blind, and who kills his ancestor; Psalm 137 ('By the rivers of Babylon...); Leviticus 19:17 'Thou shall not hate your brother...'; and 'Nine Theses' which is a summary of Kugel's working principles throughout his career and many publications on Biblical and midrashic techniques.

This is the book you want to read after you have read his 'How to Read the Bible', and you want more. It is similar to the 'Ladder of Jacob', but I suspect the subject is more interesting to a wider general audience. And even if your interest stops after Joseph is landed in the pokey, the first half of the book is well worth the read, especially as a supplement to what you may find on this story in feminist exegesis. I suspect Kugel demonstrates that a male writer is capable of expressing the female point of view, and showing sympathy for it (even if I think Potiphar's wife is the clear culprit in the story).

This is a brilliant piece of writing that opens the Bible as never before. It will make you appreciate a great literature even more