Politics of Loneliness in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East : Lonely Leaders, Lonely Prophets

This volume is the sequel to Loneliness in the Hebrew Bible (2025), which examined loneliness and related experiences, including social exclusion, ostracism, and isolation, as well as the practices that sought to counter them, across a range of texts in the Hebrew Bible and its wider cultural milieu. Expanding the scope of that pioneering study, the present collection explores how loneliness was understood and represented across the broader ancient Near East, with particular attention to second- and first-millennium BCE Mesopotamia and ancient Israel. It investigates the manifestations of exclusion, ostracism, and isolation among both elites, such as kings, leaders, governors, and prophets, and the subjects and communities who lived under their influence.

Drawing on a rich array of interdisciplinary approaches, including philosophy, sociology, psychology, gender studies, food and famine research, socio-political activism and leadership studies, extinction studies, epic and hero narrative criticism, and refugee and migration studies, the contributors offer a vibrant and innovative scholarly dialogue. Their essays examine not only the hardships associated with solitude and social alienation, but also the strategies and remedies developed to alleviate them. By bringing ancient evidence into conversation with contemporary concerns, the volume highlights both the parallels and the differences between past and present experiences of loneliness, demonstrating the enduring relevance of these questions for understanding social life today.
Using a diverse array of perspectives and hermeneutics, such as philosophy, sociology, psychology, gender studies, food and famine research, work on socio-political activism and leadership, extinction studies, epic/hero narrative criticism, refugee and migration studies, the contributors showcase a high-quality interdisciplinary exchange. This collection discusses both negative and positive aspects of life in solitude; finally, and significantly, the volume explores points of contact and distance between ancient texts and contemporary questions and reflects on their enduring significance for life in today’s social contexts.