The Secret Lives of Biblical Figures is a journey nearly 4,000 years back in time—to the days when biblical heroes lived, to the land they inhabited, and to the ancient language they spoke.

It explores questions such as: How old were the foremothers when they got married? Why did the patriarchs wish to have many wives? What was the status of a woman whose husband had other wives? Why did only one son inherit his father’s property, and what happened to his brothers, who inherited nothing?

In The Secret Lives of Biblical Figures, esteemed biblical scholar Dr. Liora Ravid peels back centuries of history to reveal the hidden complexities, social dynamics, and moral dilemmas that shaped the lives of the Bible’s most iconic figures. With meticulous research, Ravid uncovers the untold truths behind well-known narratives—exposing cultural contexts that transform our understanding of biblical heroes and antiheroes alike.

Through her intimate knowledge of the untranslated, original Hebrew texts, Ravid explores new, groundbreaking concepts:

• Reconstructing the historical journey of Abraham and his family from Ur of the Chaldees to the land of Canaan.
• Tribal societies of the biblical age, their laws and the social norms that existed in the ancient world.
• Ancient surrogacy and women’s rights in biblical times.
• Wordplays and double-meanings in the original Hebrew text that cannot be translated from the original language.