Bruno J. Clifton examines Israel's family dynamics and identity politics
in the dramatic narratives of Judges in an interdisciplinary study that
brings socio-anthropological research into dialogue with the history and
culture of ancient Israel. This monograph discusses the social
experiences and interactions through which people in Israel might have
viewed their place in the world. Institutions such as hospitality,
marriage and community leadership are examined and the ethnicity,
culture, social landscape, family life, and literature of ancient Israel
are explored with a view to determining what impact the understanding of
identity has on the interpretation of the stories in the Book of Judges.