David Perlstein

God's Others: Non-israelites' Encounters with God in the Hebrew Bible David Perlstein

God's Others: Non-Israelites' Encounters with God in the Hebrew Bible reveals the stories of two-dozen of the "best-kept secrets" in what is often referred to as the Old Testament-the foundation text for the three Abrahamic faiths. Often overlooked or misunderstood, these non-Israelite individuals and groups encounter God through personal or historic revelations. They include: ? Melchizedek, King of Salem ? Lot, Abraham's nephew ? Hagar, Abraham's concubine ? Laban, Jacob's brother-in-law ? The Pharaoh of the Exodus ? Jethro, Moses' father-in-law ? Rahab, harlot of Jericho ? The Queen of Sheba ? Ruth ? Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon ? The Gentiles of Jonah ? Job "God's others" demonstrate that people may approach God by many paths. They show that claims to exclusive religious truth, which often have pitted Jews, Christians and Muslims against each other, represent a misreading of the Hebrew Bible and the Jewish position of respect for others. Traditional and modern commentary add depth to these biblical stories, making them as accessible as they are fascinating.