The Spirit within Me

“Newsom’s study is marked by careful attention to the primary texts and an interweaving of contemporary theory. The differing perspectives that she identifies in the literature open new ways for scholarship to explore the complexity of the Second Temple Jewish world.”—Jason Maston, Religious Studies Review

“Elegant, learned, accessible and deeply engaging—I couldn’t stop reading. This is a masterfully written text from beginning to end.”—Hindy Najman, University of Oxford

“For decades Carol Newsom has enriched exegetical research with her excellent contributions, and this newest book is her crowning jewel. This study of the inner self leads the reader directly to the heart of biblical and Jewish anthropology in antiquity.”—Bernd Janowski, Universität Tübingen

“Newsom’s strong philological skills combined with a deep literary sensitivity have made her one of the best biblical scholars of her generation. The present work explores the various means of constructing the self in Second Temple Judaism and offers striking new insights regarding the nature of moral agency.”—Gary Anderson, author of Sin: A History and Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition

“In this innovative and inspiring cultural history of the self in ancient Israel and early Judaism, Carol Newsom expertly combines perceptive reading of the ancient texts with modern discourse on the self and moral agency.”—Eibert Tigchelaar, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

“Newsom presents a wide-ranging look at the human self and moral agency as reflected in biblical and Second Temple texts. She breathes new life into familiar passages from the Psalms and Proverbs, Genesis, Deuteronomy, and Ezekiel. While her approach is rigorously analytical and tightly argued, behind it stands a profoundly moral thinker for whom the Bible remains an essential point of departure.”—James Kugel, author of The Great Shift: Encountering God in Biblical Times
 
“In this groundbreaking study, Newsom unfolds various interpretations of the self and explores the importance of agency in Second Temple literature. This book is masterful, erudite, and instructive: spirited in all the finest ways.”—Christian Frevel, Ruhr-Universität Bochum