Laurel W. Koepf-Taylor is assistant professor of Old Testament at Eden Theological Seminary. This is a revision of her dissertation, completed under the direction of David M. Carr at Union Theological Seminary.
Description
"A valuable addition to the growing body of research linking biblical scholarship with the new sociology of childhood. Koepf-Taylor aptly demonstrates that the texts of the Hebrew Bible reflect ancient Israel's concerns with the economic value of its children as the key to community survival. Of particular interest is the author's analysis of the trope of (in)fertility in the biblical texts as a reflection of the economic worth of children and childhood in the Israelite family of the past. She successfully separates the study of the economic worth of children in the biblical past from the emotional value placed on children today." Naomi Steinberg DePaul University