Superheroes and Their Ancient Jewish Parallels

Persia had Rostam. Babylonia had Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Egypt had Horus and Isis. Greece had Odysseus and Achilles.
Israel had its heroes, too–Moses, David, Esther and Samson. While Israel’s heroes did not wear capes or spandex, they did meet cultural needs.
In times of crisis, heroes emerge to model virtues that inspire a sense of commitment and worth. Identity concerns were especially acute for a post-exilic Jewish culture. Using modern American superheroes and their stories in a cross-cultural discussion, this book presents the stories of Israelite characters as heroes filling a cultural need.

Johnny E. Miles is a lecturer at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

Johnny E. Miles
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 225
Bibliographic Info: 14 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2018
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6998-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3142-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi
Preface 1
Introduction 3
1. (Super)Heroes: Origins, Crises and Psychology 15
2. The Immigrant as Hero: Moses and Superman 40
3. The National Icon as Hero: King David and Captain America 75
4. The Diasporic Woman as Hero: Esther and Wonder Woman 111
5. The Liminal Avenger as (Anti-)Hero: Samson and Batman 146
Conclusion 182
Chapter Notes 197
Bibliography 207
Index 215