Includes bibliographical references (p. 419-423) and index.

Between God and self. Seduced into Eden: the beginning of desire ; Despondent intoxication: the flood ; Jonah: a fantasy of flight ; Esther: mere anarchy is loosed upon the world -- Stranger within. In the vale of soul-making: Abraham's journey ; Abraham bound and unbound: the akeda ; Her own foreigner: Rebecca's pregnancy ; Blindness and blessing: Isaac trembles twice -- Bewteen self and other. And I did not know-- : the secret of prayer ; The pit and the rope: recovering Joseph ; What if Joseph hates us?: closing the book ; Law and narrative in the book of Ruth.

"Through close readings of the biblical texts, the author makes a powerful argument for the idea that the creators of the midrashic commentary, the medieval rabbinic commentators, and the Hassidic commentators were themselves on some level aware of the complex interplay between conscious and unconscious levels of experience and used this knowledge in their interpretations. In her analysis of the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Jonah, Abraham, Rebecca, Isaac, Joseph and his brothers, Ruth, and Estheruhow they communicated with the world around them, with God, and with the various parts of their selves, the author offers fascinating insights into the interaction between consciousness and unconsciousness."

Zornberg, A. G. (2009). The murmuring deep: Reflections on the Biblical Unconscious. Random House Digital, Inc.