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“Remember Lot’s wife,” Jesus warned, yet the woman he refers to remains an enigmatic, nameless, speechless, biblical figure known only for being transformed into a pillar of salt. Who was she? What lessons were readers meant to take from her fate? Early Jewish, Christian, and Islamic interpreters, as well as readers today, have all wrestled with these questions. Josey Bridges Snyder analyzes examples from Second Temple literature, early rabbinic midrash, early Christian writings, and Islamic tradition to trace how the cultural, theological, and historical contexts of these interpreters influenced their understanding of the narrative. This book not only uncovers new insights into the ancient text and its many readers but reveals that interpretations are rarely as novel as they may seem.

Josey Bridges Snyder is an independent scholar with a PhD in Hebrew Bible from Emory University. Snyder currently serves as Associate Director of Leadership Development and Christian Formation for the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. She has published on topics such as the figure of Lot in Jubilees, Moabite stamp seals, and the Mesha Inscription.