The Bible and the Comic Vision

This book explores the place of comedy in the Hebrew Bible. It shows how the comic vision plays a profound and pervasive role in such central biblical books as Genesis, Exodus, Esther, Jonah, Job and the Song of Songs. Arguing that comedy often moves between the poles of satiric attack and joyous celebration, the study highlights how biblical comedy serves as a vital strategy to deal with death and despair and to revel in the laughter of life and love.