In her eventful lifetime, Miriam was many things to many people: protective older sister, song leader, prophetess, leper. But between the highs and the lows, she was a girl who dreamed of freedom, a woman who longed for love, a leader who made mistakes, and a friend who valued connection. With her impeccable research and keen eye for detail, bestselling author Jill Eileen Smith offers this epic story to fill in the gaps and imagine how Miriam navigated the challenges of holding on to hope, building a family in the midst of incredible hardship, and serving as a leader of a difficult people, all while living in her brother's shadow. Follow Miriam's journey from childhood to motherhood, obscurity to notoriety, and yearning to fulfillment as she learns that what God promises he provides--in his own perfect timing.

The powerful testimonies of 11 widows of the Bible are brought to narrative life in lyrical, visceral prose that brings readers deep inside the women's grief, strength, and faith. Full of both haunting and hope, Not Alone connects Biblical widows' voices in a chorus of commiseration that reminds us what it means to love—and what it means to live with God.

Hanna Tervanotko first analyzes the treatment and development of Miriam as a literary character in ancient Jewish texts, taking into account all the references to this figure preserved in ancient Jewish literature from the exilic period to the early second century C.E.: Exodus 15:20-21; Deuteronomy 24:8-9; Numbers 12:1-15; 20:1; 26:59; 1 Chronicles 5:29; Micah 6:4, the Septuagint, the Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q365 6 II, 1-7; 4Q377 2 I, 9; 4Q543 1 I, 6 = 4Q545 1 I, 5; 4Q546 12, 4; 4Q547 4 I, 10; 4Q549 2, 8), Jubilees 47:4; Ezekiel the Tragedian 18; Demetrius Chronographer frag. 3; texts by Philo of Alexandria: De vita contemplativa 87; Legum allegoriae 1.76; 2.66-67; 3.103; De agricultura 80-81; Liber antiquitatum biblicarum 9:10; 20:8, and finally texts by Josephus: Antiquitates judaicae 2.221; 3.54; 3.105; 4.78. These texts demonstrate that the picture of Miriam preserved in the ancient Jewish texts is richer than the Hebrew Bible suggests. The results provide a contradictory image of Miriam. On the one hand she becomes a tool of Levitical politics, whereas on the other she continues to enjoy a freer role. People continued to interpret earlier literary traditions in light of new situations, and interpretations varied in different contexts. Second, in light of poststructuralist literary studies that treat texts as reflections of specific social situations, Tervanotko argues that the treatment of Miriam in ancient Jewish literature reflects mostly a reality in which women had little space as active agents. Despite the general tendency to allow women only little room, the references to Miriam suggest that at least some prominent women may have enjoyed occasional freedom.

The Sociopaths Guide to Scamming the System Finally the why and how a sociopath spousal abusers game works. There are two versions of this amazingly daring book. The shorter all-color page picture book version, which is the FIRST DRAFT COLLECTORS EDITION, and the black and white interior design, that is a longer slightly more information comprehensive version of the same material. Victims are encouraged to purchase the longer less costly black and white interior edition. What is The Sociopaths Guide to Scamming the System all about? It is about how they do it, why they do it and how they manage to actually get away with it. This book describes how these predators get away with all of it including manipulating the police, medical professionals, psychiatric professionals and other s. In such maneuvers the in-home or spousal sociopath predator can extend his/her reach of abusive power and control. This at times snarky or sarcastically presented book is written as a warning guideline for victims of what are oftentimes the worst types of sociopath/sociopath-type con artists. The primary focus of The Sociopaths Guide to Scamming the System is the methods and agendas of the in-home or alleged family person type of sociopath predator. This book is not actually meant to be utilized as a How-To-Do guide for abusive individuals or con men. The methods described in this book may or may not always work without a hitch. Variables exist, including but not limited to the following: Variables in the adult victim of the abuse, age and sophistication level of any child or children involved (i.e. children used by the abuser as pawns), intelligence or lack thereof of any police, social workers, welfare department workers and others involved in any particular case. In creating this book this writer interviewed numerous other victims in careful analysis of their stories. When others were interviewed a certain level of proof of their reasonable innocence was required as well as consistency in their behaviors as well as clarity in their stories through a time period deemed sufficient to weed out overt liars. It is sincerely hoped that the existence of this book will in the end reduce the success rate of the methods of dishonorable conduct described herein. It is further hoped that in reading this book support persons for victims and victims themselves will receive a desperately needed heads-up warning otherwise not clearly available. Readers as you proceed through these pages please use your imaginations to consider other similar directions, variations, methods and/or allegations a sociopath/sociopath type person can use to gain the same result(s). Names of individuals in all of this authors books are fictitious names. Real names are not revealed. By Danee Shade

“This splendid reference describes every woman in Jewish and Christian scripture . . . monumental” (Library Journal). In recent decades, many biblical scholars have studied the holy text with a new focus on gender. Women in Scripture is a groundbreaking work that provides Jews, Christians, or anyone fascinated by a body of literature that has exerted a singular influence on Western civilization a thorough look at every woman and group of women mentioned in the Bible, whether named or unnamed, well known or heretofore not known at all. They are remarkably varied—from prophets to prostitutes, military heroines to musicians, deacons to dancers, widows to wet nurses, rulers to slaves. There are familiar faces, such as Eve, Judith, and Mary, seen anew with the full benefit of the most up-to-date results of biblical scholarship. But the most innovative aspect of this book is the section devoted to the many females who in the scriptures do not even have names. Combining rigorous research with engaging prose, these articles on women in the Hebrew Bible, the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, and the New Testament will inform, delight, and challenge readers interested in the Bible, scholars and laypeople alike. Together, these collected histories create a volume that takes the study of women in the Bible to a new level.