Preface Abbreviations List of Figures (1) Bodies and Heroes Describe the Body Religion and the Body: A Brief Genealogy Embodied Biblical Studies Body Trajectories in Recent Hebrew Bible Research Define the Hero An Orientation to Comparative Moves (2) Jacob: Israel's Heroic Body The Body is the Nation is the Land The Body of the Patriarch Hairy and smooth, part one (Gen 25:21-26) Hairy and smooth, part two (Gen 27:1-40) Hairy and smooth bodies in comparative perspective Hip Wrenching Disabling wound Heroic wound Conclusion: A Crisscrossed Body (3) Heroic Bodies in Judges Torn Bodies, Torn Nations Heroic Bodies in Judges Judg 1:1-7: Adoni-Bezek's dismembered body Judg 3:15-30: Ehud the left-hander, Eglon the fat king Judg 4:4-24: Deborah and Jael Judges 13-16: Samson Conclusion: The Concubine, the Left-Hand, and the Body of Israel (4) The Iconography of the Heroic Body Material Exegesis of the Heroic Body The Iconography of Heroic Bodies in and Around Israel Heroic Burials and Warrior Weaponry Conclusion: Displaying the Body (5) The Height of Saul and the Beauty of David Where are the Bodies of Israel's Kings? The Heroic Body of Saul Tall body Hidden body, frenzied body Scene One: Small and Desirable (9:3-26) Scene Two: Anointed and Frenzied (9:27-10:16) Scene Three: Hiding in the Baggage (10:17-11:13) Scene Four: Small in His Own Eyes (15:17) Further Scenes: Hiding, Disguising, Cutting, and Other Displays Interlude: Goliath's Giant Body The Heroic Body of David Young and beautiful body Beautiful bodies in Genesis David's beautiful ruddy body Dismembering and manipulating bodies Dismemberment and corpse movement Fake bodies Conclusion: Two Bodies (6) Saul's Heroic Bones Saul, Again Interpretations and Sources Heroic Bone Transfer in the Western Mediterranean and Beyond Bone Transfer in the Saul Narrative Part One: The Gileadites transfer the body Part Two: David and the bone transfer Conclusion: An Ongoing Body of Power (7) Conclusion: Heroic Bodies Reimagined Index of Authors Index of Subjects.