And Adam Knew Eve: A Dictionary of Sex in the Bible
by Ronald L. Ecker
Category: Religion

From the first recorded sexual encounter in Genesis ("And Adam knew Eve his wife; & she conceived, & bare Cain"), to the book of Revelation's depiction of imperial Rome as a "whore" on a scarlet beast, this unique dictionary provides A to Z coverage of sexually related stories, concepts & laws in the Old & New Testaments & Apocrypha. Though layperson & scholar will both be entertained, lay readers may also discover things that disturb them. The Bible reflects a patriarchal society in which women were viewed essentially as the property of men. There are some biblical passages that seem to condone domestic violence. Ecker's book, sharing the concerns of feminist interpreters, will help general readers become more aware of gender-related biblical issues. There is one thing, though, on which all readers of this work will surely be able to agree: folks in the Hebrew Bible took God's first commandment--"Be fruitful & multiply"--seriously. Includes reproductions of art by Blake, Guercino, & others, extensive cross references, full bibliography, & comprehensive subject & scripture indexes.