New Books in Literary Studies Elliott Rabin, "The Biblical Hero: Portraits in Nobility and Fallibility" (Jewish Publication Society, 2020)
Oct 20, 2025
Elliott Rabin, a comparative literature scholar and author, dives into the complexities of biblical heroes in his discussion. He explores why the Bible portrays its heroes with flaws, contrasting them with more glorified characters from other cultures. Rabin shares how personal experiences, like Shabbat-table conversations, inspired his work and discusses the relevance of biblical stories in contemporary contexts, such as the COVID pandemic. He also considers the role of God as a hero and reflects on teaching these themes to students, highlighting the importance of narrative depth.
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Bible Reframes The Heroic Archetype
- The Bible resists the ancient idea of heroes as partly divine and instead portrays complex, flawed humans.
- Elliott Rabin argues readers must step back from close rabbinic zooming to see this broader biblical perspective.
Chiaroscuro Portraits Enable Emulation
- Biblical heroes are painted in chiaroscuro: noble acts alongside troubling flaws.
- Rabin says this mixed depiction lets ordinary people see themselves as capable of heroism.
Compare Across Literatures To Illuminate Texts
- Use cross-cultural comparisons to clarify what the Bible problematizes about hero types.
- Rabin compares Samson to Heracles and Jacob to tricksters to reveal biblical distinctives.
