Includes bibliographical references (p. 353-405) and index.

Scoial-scientific models in biblical interpretation / Philip F. Esler -- The social-scientific analysis of the Old Testament : a brief history and overview / Philip F. Esler & Anselm Hagedorn -- Tribalism: social organization in the Biblical Israels / Robert Coote -- Polygyny: insights from rural Haiti / Carolyn Leeb -- Sacrifice: the ritual for the leper in Leviticus 14 / Adriana Destro & Mauro Pesce -- Reciprocity: covenantal exchange as a test case / Zeba Crook -- Wealth: how Abraham became rich / Gary Stansell -- Prophecy: Joseph Smith and the gestalt of the Israelite prophet / Lester Grabbe -- Barrenness: trance as a protest strategy / Dietmar Neufeld -- Micah: models matter : political economy and Micah 6:9-15 / Marvin Chaney -- Deuteronomy: shameful encroachment on shameful parts : Deuteronomy 25:11-12 and biblical euphemism / John H. Elliott -- Judges: (Dis)honor and ritual enactment, the Jephthah story Judges 10:16-12:1 / Richard E. DeMaris & Carolyn Leeb -- 2 Samuel: David and the Ammonite War : a narrative and social-scientific interpretation of 2 Samuel 10-12 / Philip F. Esler -- Ezekiel: an altered state of consciousness experience, the call of Ezekiel: Ezekiel 1-3 / John Pilch -- Nahum: ethnicity and stereotypes: anthropological insights into Nahum's literary history / Anselm Hagedorn -- Maccabees: Symbolic wars and age-sets: the anthropology of war in 1 Maccabees / Mario Aguilar -- Qumran: the prototypical teacher in the Qumran Pesharim : a social identity approach / Jutta Jokiranta -- Bible hermeneutics: Marcion's truth and a developmental perspective / Douglas E. Oakman -- Interfaith dialogue: challenging the received view / Bruce J. Malina -- Psychology: Moses and monotheism: the future of Freud's illusion / Andrew D.H. Mayes.