This book is an examination of characters in the books of Kings; showing how understanding and interpretation of key characters affects readings of the story. The volume begins with more general pieces addressing how the study of characters can shed light on the composition history of Kings and on how characters and characterization can be considered with respect to ethics, particularly with respect to the moral complexity of biblical characters.Contributors then consider key characters within the Kings narrative in depth, such as Nathan, Bathsheba, Solomon and Jezebel. The contributors use their own specific expertise to analyze these characters and more, drawing on insights from literary theory and considering such approaches as questioning our view of a particular character with based on the character within the text with whom we identify. Contributors also assess whether or not characters as portrayed in the biblical text necessarily match up to their possible counterparts in history.

List of ContributorsPrefaceList of Abbreviations1. Characterization and Ethics - John Barton2. Ahaz and Jeroboam A. - Graeme Auld3. Bathsheba Between the Lines and Beneath the Surface - Sara Koenig4. The Portrait of Solomon in the Book of Kings - Amos Frisch5. Rehabilitating Rehoboam - Rachelle Gilmour6. Deceiving the Man of God from Judah: A Question of Motive - Paul Hedley Jones7. Dancing with Death; Dancing with Life: Ahab between Jezebel and Elijah - Lissa M. Wray Beal8. Jezebel Now: Gazing through Multiple Windows - Athalya Brenner-Idan9. An Ambivalent Hero: Elijah in Narrative-Critical Perspective - Iain Provan10. The Character of Elisha and His Bones - Stuart Lasine11. He's Driving Like Jehu-Like a Madman: Humor and Violence in 2 Kings 9-10 - Mark Roncace12. Athaliah: the Queen Who was Not - Patricia Dutcher-Walls13. Artifacts of Scenery or Agents of Change? A Subaltern Character in II Kings 4:1-7 - Gina Hens-Piazza14. The Trust of Hezekiah: In YHWH...and Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon (2 Kings 18-20) - David T. Lamb15. Manasseh the Boring: Lack of Character in 2 Kings 21 - Alison L. Joseph16. To Reform or Not to Reform: Characterization and Ethical Reading of Josiah in Kings - S. Min Chun AfterwordBibliographyIndex