The regnal formulas in 1-2 Kings list the name of the king's mother for Judah, signaling an importance of her position and place within the books' theological presentation. This book investigates the passages in which the king's mother appears outside of the formulas through narrative criticism and integrates that study with a theological discussion of the formulas in order to demonstrate 1-2 Kings' view of the queen mother's place in the monarchy. She held a sanctioned position within the court and had such great influence upon her son that she receives blame as part of the monarchy for the exile.

This volume challenges patrimonialism as a political model for the ancient Near East by engaging with letters and legal texts concerning royal women at Late Bronze Age Ugarit, demonstrating women’s pivotal roles in the exercise of power, and then bringing these insights to bear on the Hebrew Bible. The book offers a new vision of how women figure in ancient political systems. Through an analysis of royal letters, legal verdicts, and regional records, it examines overt claims and implicit anxieties concerning the pivotal roles of royal women. Three case studies from Late Bronze Age Ugarit reveal that a single woman functioning in a range of modalities—mother, daughter, sister, and wife—brokered a network of relationships among a range of men. Patrimonialism depended on the political polyvalence of women. Texts from Ugarit attest to this reality, and the biblical royal women of the House of David amplify its significance. This analysis of women’s activity within and among royal households is productive not only for the study of the Late Bronze Age Levant, but also as a model for analogous inquiries into ancient societies and other systems in which data are thin and patrimonialism widely in evidence. Royal Women at Ugarit is suitable for students and scholars working on women and gender in the ancient Near East, as well as those interested in the political realm of the Late Bronze Age and the intersections of biblical literature with other ancient texts.

“Brant Pitre is one of the most compelling theological writers on the scene today.” –Bishop Robert Barron Bestselling author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist casts new light on the Virgin Mary, illuminating her role in the Old and New Testaments. Are Catholic teachings on Mary really biblical? Or are they the "traditions of men"? Should she be called the "Mother of God," or just the mother of Jesus? Did she actually remain a virgin her whole life or do the "brothers of Jesus" refer to her other children? By praying to Mary, are Catholics worshipping her? And what does Mary have to do with the quest to understand Jesus? In Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary, Dr. Pitre takes readers step-by-step from the Garden of Eden to the Book of Revelation to reveal how deeply biblical Catholic beliefs about Mary really are. Dr. Pitre uses the Old Testament and Ancient Judaism to unlock how the Bible itself teaches that Mary is in fact the new Eve, the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, and the new Ark of the Covenant.

A revelatory exploration of the Jewish roots of the Last Supper that seeks to understand exactly what happened at Jesus’ final Passover. “Clear, profound and practical—you do not want to miss this book.”—Dr. Scott Hahn, author of The Lamb’s Supper and The Fourth Cup Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist shines fresh light on the Last Supper by looking at it through Jewish eyes. Using his in-depth knowledge of the Bible and ancient Judaism, Dr. Brant Pitre answers questions such as: What was the Passover like at the time of Jesus? What were the Jewish hopes for the Messiah? What was Jesus’ purpose in instituting the Eucharist during the feast of Passover? And, most important of all, what did Jesus mean when he said, “This is my body… This is my blood”? To answer these questions, Pitre explores ancient Jewish beliefs about the Passover of the Messiah, the miraculous Manna from heaven, and the mysterious Bread of the Presence. As he shows, these three keys—the Passover, the Manna, and the Bread of the Presence—have the power to unlock the original meaning of the Eucharistic words of Jesus. Along the way, Pitre also explains how Jesus united the Last Supper to his death on Good Friday and his Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Inspiring and informative, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist is a groundbreaking work that is sure to illuminate one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith: the mystery of Jesus’ presence in “the breaking of the bread.”

The regnal formulas in 1-2 Kings list the name of the mother of the king for Judah, signaling an importance on the part of the queen mother and her place within the theological presentation of the books. This dissertation investigates the multiple passages in which the mother of the king appears outside of the regnal formulas through literary criticism and integrates that study with a theological discussion of the regnal formulas in order to demonstrate the narrative's view of the queen mother's place in the monarchy. As the g{277}bîrâ, the queen mother held a sanctioned position within the Judean court and had such great influence upon her son that she too receives blame as part of the monarchy for the fall of Judah. The books of Kings depict Maacah (1 Kgs 15), Athaliah (2 Kgs 11), and Nehushta (2 Kgs 24), the only queen mothers to appear outside of the formulas, as wicked and acting in the same manner as the kings who receive a negative or qualified evaluation of their reigns. The books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel depict Nehushta (Jer 13, 22, 29) and Hamutal (Ezek 19) as wicked as well. Jezebel, appearing only in Kings (2 Kgs 9), receives the same treatment. These texts combine to show a mythos surrounding the queen mother, that she is a wicked queen mother by virtue of her son ruling during the divided monarchy. Three other queen mothers, who are not from the divided monarchy, appear in other biblical texts: Bathsheba (1 Kgs 1-2), Lemuel's mother (Prov 31), and Belshazzar's mother (Dan 5). Also, Genesis depicts Sarah as a proto-queen mother (Gen 16-21). The texts characterizes these women as good queen mothers, acting in a contradictory manner from the queen mothers of the divided monarchy. The queen mother outside of the divided monarchy can be a good queen mother even if she is foreign. These good queen mothers contrast with the wicked queen mothers and strengthen the mythos that the queen mother of the divided monarchy is wicked and she holds such a powerful, influential position that she is at fault, along with her son, for the exile of the nation.

This follow-up to Theology of the Hebrew Bible, Volume 1: Methodological Studies, focuses on readers’ engagement with the text and their communities. Part 1 offers fresh interpretations of divine images and theological concepts drawn from various theophanies in the text. Part 2 focuses on how these insights can form new overarching structures, serving as reading strategies or foundations for alternative theologies. Part 3 emphasizes the bond between readers and their communities, highlighting the active participation of both ancient and modern readers through an analysis of past literature. Contributors, each an expert in their field, include Rachel Adelman, Samuel E. Balentine, Shelly L. Birdsong, Ginny Brewer-Boydston, Johanna Etzberger, Frances Flannery, David Frankel, Barry R. Huff, Hyun Chul Paul Kim, Barbara Leung Lai, J. Richard Middleton, Hye Kyung Park, Kris Sonek, Brent A. Strawn, David E. S. Stein, Marvin A. Sweeney, Soo Kim Sweeney, Joseph Sykora, Daniel C. Timmer, and Beat Weber. This collection of essays guides readers, including those well-versed in theology, to explore innovative and unexpected depictions of divine beings and how human characters respond to them.

"William Tallon was a creature of extremes: though intensely loyal, he was also a dangerous risk-taker; though charming, he could also be vicious; though considerate and amusing, he could be ruthless and predatory. For much of his life he was driven by two demons: a powerful sex drive and an intense, almost pathological love for the Queen Mother..." From humble beginnings as a shopkeeper's son in Coventry to 'Page of the Backstairs' at Clarence House, William Tallon, or 'Backstairs Billy' as he came to be known, entered royal service at the age of fifteen. Over the next fifty years, he became one of the most notorious and flamboyant characters ever to have graced the royal household - the one servant the Queen Mother just could not do without. While others came and went, he remained by her side, becoming one of her most trusted friends and confidants. The fascinating life story of the man who spent more than half a century working for one of the world's most elusive institutions, Backstairs Billy provides a rare glimpse of what the royals really get up to behind closed doors...