Smashing the Tablets: Radical Retellings of the Hebrew Bible

by Sara Lippmann (Editor), Seth Rogoff (editor)

Provocative new readings of biblical texts by major contemporary Jewish writers.

Lot's daughters rebel against their predatory father, Jacob wrestles an angel in a queer underground nightclub, Job arrives in the form of an avaricious former sorority girl-Smashing the Tablets presents a collection of provocative new readings of biblical texts by major contemporary Jewish writers. Behind this groundbreaking collection is the idea that foundational texts must be read anew or they become tools of conservatism and reaction. To achieve fresh readings, it is often necessary to step outside traditional modes of analysis, whether academic or theological, and to violate the conventions of storytelling and interpretation. By challenging dominant readings and identifying underrepresented characters and moments that have been "written out" of the biblical conversation, the essays, stories, and poems in this collection rupture assumptions, unsettle the reader, and give voice to the voiceless. The Bible in this collection is bent, recontextualized, queered, inverted, and smashed to pieces. Smashing the Tablets is one of the most significant Jewish literary collections in decades, a groundbreaking must-read for Jews and others interested not only in the Bible but also in identity, faith, and power.

250 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

Sara Lippmann is the author of the story collections Doll Palace re-released by 713 Books, and Jerks from Mason Jar Press. Her work has been honored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, and has appeared in The Millions, The Washington Post, Best Small Fictions, Epiphany, Split Lip and elsewhere. She teaches with Jericho Writers and lives with her family in Brooklyn. For more, visit saralippmann.com

Reviews

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of Smashing the Tablets better than I did the book itself. There were a few stories that worked well—Jacob wrestling with the angel, for example. However, in several other stories I couldn't understand what the writer was trying to accomplish because of the ephemeral (?) nature of the writing. What is absolutely brilliant about this book is its introduction which takes Biblical stories literally and tries to identify the "teachings" in them. The contortions here are funny and spot-on. If you're interested in scriptural interpretation, you'll find some interesting moments in Smashing the Tablets. If you think that will be worth your time, go for it.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.

[Erika Dreifus]

You'll find a story of mine within this volume.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

a smash hit, obv.

the critics agree:

“arguably the most excit­ing cre­ative vol­ume devot­ed to bib­li­cal nar­ra­tive in years and brims with stun­ning scrip­tur­al and psy­cho­log­i­cal insights.”

Review: https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/boo...

[Rachel]

Ever really look forward to a book and have a mixed reaction after finishing it? That’s what occurred while reading “Smashing the Tablets: Radical Retelling of the Hebrew Bible” edited by Sara Lippmann and Seth Rogoff (Excelsior Editions). I find different interpretations of the biblical stories fascinating and the work’s title suggested that its stories would be challenging and controversial, something that did prove to be true.
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/book...