Animals, Power, and Intersectionality in the Books of Samuel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Millar, Suzanna.

Series:

The Bible and the Humanities Series

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource (434 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2026.

Summary:

Animals pervade the books of Samuel. Though their presence often goes unnoticed, they are integral players in the society narrated. Animals, Power, and Intersectionality in the Books of Samuel draws on scholarship in animal studies, power, and intersectionality, to highlight the role of animals in the intersectional power dynamics of Samuel.

Contents:

Cover

Half Title

Series

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction

I.1 Introduction

I.2 Why this book?

I.3 The text(s) of Samuel

I.4 Overview of chapters

1 Understanding Animals, Power, and Intersectionality

1.1 Animals

1.1.1 The "animal turn" in scholarship

1.1.2 Problems with the term "animal"

1.1.3 Animals as players in society

1.1.4 Conclusion

1.2 Power

1.2.1 Foucault for ancient animals?

1.2.2 Power as relational, multi-leveled, dynamic, and tied to knowledge

1.2.3 Conclusion

1.3 Intersectionality

1.3.1 Intersectionality within socio-cultural research

1.3.2 Animals in intersectional research

1.3.3 An analytic framework: Five modes of intersection

1.4 Conclusion

2 The Power of Killing: Animal and Human Sacrifice in the Stories of Eli, Samuel, and Saul

2.1 The power of killing

2.2 Eli's precarious power

2.2.1 Hannah's sacrifice (1 Samuel 1): A boy and a bull

2.2.2 The Elides' sacrifices (1 Samuel 2): Taking the fat

2.2.3 Conclusion

2.3 Samuel's precarious power

2.3.1 Samuel's sacrifice at Mizpah (1 Samuel 7): A spotted suckling lamb

2.3.2 Samuel's sacrifice at a high place (1 Samuel 9): The thigh and "that which is upon it"

2.3.3 Saul's slaughter of oxen (1 Samuel 11): Fragmented bodies

2.3.4 Conclusion

2.4 Saul's precarious power

2.4.1 Saul's preemptive sacrifice (1 Samuel 13): Seven days you will wait

2.4.2 Further slaughters in the Philistine war (1 Samuel 14): The consumption of blood and near-sacrifice of Jonathan

2.4.3 The Amalekite slaughters (1 Samuel 15): The best of flocks and men

2.4.4 The slaughter at Endor (1 Samuel 28): A necromancer between life and death

2.4.5 Conclusion

2.5 Conclusion.

3 The Power of Taking: The Acquisition of Animals and Humans in Samuel's Stories of Kingship

3.1 Introduction: Taking animals and humans in the books of Samuel

3.2 A king develops his power: The plunder of animals and humans in 1 Samuel 23-30

3.2.1 Animal plunder in David's rise

3.2.1.1 David at Keilah (1 Sam 23:1-13)

3.2.1.2 David at Carmel (1 Sam 25:2-42)

3.2.1.3 David at Ziklag (1 Sam 27:1-12)

3.2.2 Human and animal plunder: David and the Amalekites (1 Samuel 30)

3.2.3 Conclusion

3.3 A king consolidates his power: Conscription and taxation of animals and humans in 1 Samuel 8

3.3.1 Charioteers and horses (1 Sam 8:11)

3.3.2 Slaves and livestock (1 Sam 8:16-17)

3.3.3 Conclusion

3.4 A king abuses his power: The theft of animals and humans in 2 Samuel 11-12

3.4.1 Taking and consuming the lamb (2 Sam 12:1-4 on a literal level)

3.4.1.1 Animals as economic assets (2 Sam 12:1-3)

3.4.1.2 Animals as sentient property (2 Sam 12:3)

3.4.1.3 Animals as gifts in hospitality codes (2 Sam 12:4)

3.4.1.4 Animals as violable flesh (2 Sam 12:4)

3.4.2 Taking and consuming humans (2 Sam 12:1-4 on a figurative level)

3.4.2.1 Consuming female flesh

3.4.2.2 Destroying foreign flesh

3.4.3 Conclusion

3.5 Conclusion

4 The Power of the Man : Animals and Masculinity in the Stories of Goliath, Absalom, and Mephibosheth

4.1 Introduction: The power of Samuel's men in the context of masculinity studies

4.1.1 Goliath, Absalom, and Mephibosheth

4.1.2 Masculinity studies

4.2 Animals and the embodiment of masculine power

4.2.1 Goliath's body (1 Sam 17:4-7)

4.2.2 Absalom's body (2 Sam 14:25-26)

4.2.3 Mephibosheth's body (2 Sam 4:4, 9:3, 13, 19:25-27 [24-26])

4.2.4 Conclusion

4.3 Animals in the enacting and enunciating of masculine power.

4.3.1 Goliath's masculine power enacted and enunciated

4.3.1.1 Lion and bear (1 Sam 17:34-37)

4.3.1.2 Sheep (1 Sam 17:28, 34-37)

4.3.1.3 Dog (1 Sam 17:43)

4.3.2 Absalom's masculine power enacted and enunciated

4.3.2.1 Sheep (2 Sam 13:23-29, 15:12)

4.3.2.2 Equids (horses) (2 Sam 15:1)

4.3.2.3 Lion and bear (2 Sam 17:8, 10)

4.3.2.4 Equid (mule) (2 Sam 18:9)

4.3.3 Mephibosheth's masculine power enacted and enunciated

4.3.3.1 Dog (2 Sam 9:8)

4.3.3.2 Equids (donkeys) (2 Sam 16:1-2, 19:27 [26])

4.3.4 Conclusion

4.4 Animals at the end of masculine power

4.4.1 Masculine power at Goliath's end (1 Sam 17:44-46)

4.4.2 Masculine power at Absalom's end (2 Sam 18:9-17)

4.4.3 Masculine power at Mephibosheth's end (2 Sam 21:1-14)

4.4.4 Conclusion

4.5 Conclusion

5 Power Beyond the Human: Animal Agency in the Books of Samuel

5.1 Introduction

5.1.1 Theorizing animal agency

5.1.2 Seeking animal agency in biblical texts

5.2 The agency of mice, cows, and oxen in the Ark Narrative

5.2.1 Proliferating mice in 1 Samuel 5-6

5.2.2 Obedient cows in 1 Samuel 6

5.2.3 Errant oxen in 2 Samuel 6

5.2.4 Conclusion

5.3 The agency of Kish's jennies (1 Sam 9:1-10:16)

5.3.1 "Losing donkeys and finding a kingdom"

5.3.2 The jennies' escape

5.3.3 The family's response

5.3.4 Conclusion

5.4 The agency of lambs and equids in the Succession Narrative

5.4.1 A lamb with potential in 2 Samuel 12

5.4.2 Hamstrung horses in 2 Samuel 8

5.4.3 Bound donkeys in the Succession Narrative

5.4.4 A rebellious mule in 2 Samuel 18

5.4.5 Conclusion

5.5 Conclusion

6 Conclusion and Synthesis

6.1 Synthesis

6.1.1 Species among other power dynamics

6.1.2 Five modes of intersection

6.1.2.1 Animals are utilized by humans

6.1.2.2 Animals are subordinated alongside humans.

6.1.2.3 Animals become images to represent humans

6.1.2.4 Animals interact with humans

6.1.2.5 Animals are tagged with the same identity markers as humans

6.1.2.6 Conclusion

6.2 Limitations, further directions, and broader implications

6.2.1 Limitations and further directions

6.2.2 Broader implications: What, how, and why?

Works Cited

Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

0-19-897401-9

0-19-897400-0

9780198974000

OCLC:

1559686135