Veiling Esther, Unveiling Her Story: The Reception of a Biblical Book in Islamic Lands. By Adam J. Silverstein

Abstract

The Megillot is without a doubt a hot topic in biblical studies at the moment: one only need observe the number of Esther papers presented at SBL in November 2021—the program book listed 36 different Esther-themed papers (<https://www.sbl-site.org/meetings/Congresses_ProgramBook.aspx?MeetingId=39>)—to see that this is the case. Within this subject area, the reception history of Esther is a burgeoning sub-field, and it is here that Silverstein’s Unveiling Esther both sits and does not sit. Despite the arguably crowded environment of Esther studies and, specifically Esther reception history, Silverstein has carved a tantalizingly unique niche in his consideration of how the cross-fertilization between Islamic, Jewish, and Persian texts and storytelling cultures can provide new perspectives on Esther studies and even offer some clues to troubling aporiae in the text. Silverstein’s comparative hermeneutic is fresh and often persuasive, but as he himself acknowledges, it also ushers in a delicate complexity in terms of the target reader of the book, in terms of both the level of detailed knowledge he can assume in his readers and the question of exactly what contribution his insights are making to which field(s).