This book spotlights the Old Testament’s “supporting cast,” the vast array of nameless characters wedged in the margins of biblical stories. Often categorized as literary props or aspects of scenery, these anonymous figures (“laborers,” “a creditor,” “the crowd,” “servants,” “elders,” “a midwife,” etc.) frequently shoulder the burden of a story that is never theirs. Grounded in literary theory, Gina Hens-Piazza sets forth a new taxonomy for these often anonymous characters.
Focusing on supporting characters in the Old Testament, Gina Hens-Piazza argues against the caste system of the biblical narratives and provides insight into the many and different “others” who make up the anonymous multitude in the biblical world.
