Archaeology, the Bible, and Sex

""In this innovative study, Caleb Jacobson combines important insights from archaeology, psychology, and biblical studies to provide fresh perspectives into how people in the ancient Near East, including Israel, might have imagined sexual practices. The author is a master in several fields, and so the study is an intriguing piece of interdisciplinarity; it also reveals that the topic is multi-layered and multi-faceted once contexts are adequately described in relation to embodiment, social structures, inheritance, and emotional intensity. A fascinating collection of evidence and illuminating ideas."" * George J. Brooke, Rylands Professor Emeritus of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis, University of Manchester; President, European Association of Biblical Studies (2021–2024) * “This investigation brings the insights of psychology and archaeology to bear on understanding biblical texts relating to sexuality. It includes important theoretical discussion as well as extensive exploration of sexuality and its social context within the world of the biblical writers. A range of explicit sexual images inform the discussion, alongside literature from the ancient world, before the author turns to biblical material, reading it through the lens of psychological and cognitive archaeological insights. This is a rich and rewarding study and a valuable resource for historians, theologians, and practitioners grappling with sexual issues in today’s world.” * William Loader, Emeritus Professor of New Testament, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia; author of Making Sense of Sex: Attitudes towards Sexuality in Early Jewish and Christian Literature *