In this illuminating study of early biblical interpretation, James Kugel examines a series of exegetical stories that elaborate on the Joseph narrative in Genesis. These stories--which appear in such diverse source as rabbinic midrash, Christian writing, liturgical poetry, and the Qur'an--often contain details or whole incidents not found in the Bible itself. In tracing the development and function of these tales, Kugel reveals a dynamic interpretive process: the living, changing significance of texts through generations of discussion, analysis, and application.

James L. Kugel is a Professor at Bar-Ilan University.

Read More by James L. Kugel:

• Traditions of the Bible: A Guide to the Bible As It Was at the Start of the Common Era
• The Bible As It Was
• Studies in Ancient Midrash
• Prayers that Cite Scripture: Biblical Quotation in Jewish Prayers from Antiquity through the Middle Ages