Who Was Naamah? Insights from Robert Crumb’s The Book of Genesis Illustrated
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12872308 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jonathan L Friedmann (Academy for Jewish Religion California, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 167-176 |
| Publication date | 2019-09-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Religion and Popular Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1703-289X • E-ISSN: 1703-289X |
| Publisher | University of California Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.3138/jrpc.2017-0015 |
| OpenAlex | W2971702261 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 13 |
Robert Crumb’s The Book of Genesis Illustrated (2009) attempts a verse-by-verse rendering of all fifty chapters of the Book of Genesis. This includes meticulous illustrations of genealogical lists and “throw-away” characters. Crumb breathes life into the passing names, giving them personalities and placing them in life situations. This article examines the single-panel portrait of Naamah (Genesis 4:22), the sister of primordial founders of human civilization. Although she is merely a name in the biblical text, Crumb makes her a proud and captivating songstress in the mould of Miriam, sister of Moses. The drawing epitomizes the role of the illustrator as an interpreter, blending elements of rabbinic exegesis with Crumb’s own interests in folk music, powerful women, and the “dimly remembered matriarchy” of biblical times
Art · Art history · Exegesis · Literature · Portrait · Sister · Sociology · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Comics and Graphic Narratives · Mormonism, Religion, and History · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2023 - 2023 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |