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The Woman Who Wrote the Bible
The bestselling Brazilian satire, now available in English for the first time.
Moacyr Scliar was the preeminent literary voice of the Jewish immigrant experience in modern Brazil. Now his most ambitiously satirical and irreverent novel is at last translated into English, offering not just a significant contribution to Latin American and Jewish literature but to world literature as well.
In a past-life therapy session, a mysterious woman makes a remarkable breakthrough when she discovers that in a previous life she was one of King Solomon’s seven hundred wives. In language that hilariously mixes modern jargon and biblical diction, she sets out to tell the story of her earlier incarnation three thousand years in the past, revealing how she went from a provincial nobody to a queen.
Yet being royalty isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. As the least desirable of King Solomon’s wives and concubines, she is unceremoniously discarded and forgotten in his harem. But as luck would have it, she possesses a unique she is a woman who knows how to read and write. Once her talent is discovered, King Solomon charges her with writing what will become one of the most important texts in human history. Along the way our nameless narrator leverages her newfound status as royal scribe to bring about her own secret agenda.
A brilliant feminist critique skewering the absurdities of patriarchy, The Woman Who Wrote the Bible is a comic masterpiece of truly biblical proportions.
Moacyr Scliar was the preeminent literary voice of the Jewish immigrant experience in modern Brazil. Now his most ambitiously satirical and irreverent novel is at last translated into English, offering not just a significant contribution to Latin American and Jewish literature but to world literature as well.
In a past-life therapy session, a mysterious woman makes a remarkable breakthrough when she discovers that in a previous life she was one of King Solomon’s seven hundred wives. In language that hilariously mixes modern jargon and biblical diction, she sets out to tell the story of her earlier incarnation three thousand years in the past, revealing how she went from a provincial nobody to a queen.
Yet being royalty isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. As the least desirable of King Solomon’s wives and concubines, she is unceremoniously discarded and forgotten in his harem. But as luck would have it, she possesses a unique she is a woman who knows how to read and write. Once her talent is discovered, King Solomon charges her with writing what will become one of the most important texts in human history. Along the way our nameless narrator leverages her newfound status as royal scribe to bring about her own secret agenda.
A brilliant feminist critique skewering the absurdities of patriarchy, The Woman Who Wrote the Bible is a comic masterpiece of truly biblical proportions.
168 pages, Paperback
Published March 17, 2026
About the author
Moacyr Scliar
197 books137 followersMoacyr Jaime Scliar (born March 23, 1937) is a Brazilian writer and physician.
Scliar is best known outside Brazil for his 1981 novel Max and the Cats (Max e os Felinos), the story of a young man who flees Berlin after he comes to the attention of the Nazis for having had an affair with a married woman. Making his way to Brazil, his ship sinks, and he finds himself alone in a dinghy with a jaguar who had been travelling in the hold.[1] The story of the jaguar and the boy was picked up by Yann Martel for his own book Life of Pi, winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize, in which Pi is trapped in a lifeboat with a tiger
Scliar is best known outside Brazil for his 1981 novel Max and the Cats (Max e os Felinos), the story of a young man who flees Berlin after he comes to the attention of the Nazis for having had an affair with a married woman. Making his way to Brazil, his ship sinks, and he finds himself alone in a dinghy with a jaguar who had been travelling in the hold.[1] The story of the jaguar and the boy was picked up by Yann Martel for his own book Life of Pi, winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize, in which Pi is trapped in a lifeboat with a tiger
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 24, 2026
The Woman Who Wrote the Bible is a brilliantly inventive and sharply satirical novel that blends humor, history, feminism, and literary imagination into a truly unforgettable reading experience. Moacyr Scliar crafts a bold reimagining of biblical history through the voice of an intelligent, witty, and deeply compelling narrator whose perspective challenges long standing patriarchal traditions with remarkable creativity and insight.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its seamless fusion of modern sensibilities with biblical storytelling. The narrative’s playful mixture of contemporary language and ancient setting creates a fresh, irreverent tone that feels both intellectually stimulating and genuinely entertaining. Scliar’s satire is sharp without losing emotional depth, allowing the novel to critique systems of power, gender expectations, and historical authority while remaining highly engaging.
The unnamed narrator is especially memorable. Her transformation from an overlooked and marginalized figure within King Solomon’s vast harem into a literate and influential royal scribe forms the emotional and thematic heart of the story. Through her voice, the novel explores questions of authorship, identity, memory, and the silencing of women throughout history.
What makes The Woman Who Wrote the Bible particularly compelling is its layered literary approach. Beneath the humor and absurdity lies a thoughtful examination of religion, storytelling, and cultural legacy. The novel invites readers to reconsider who gets to shape history and whose voices are preserved or erased across generations.
Both witty and deeply intelligent, The Woman Who Wrote the Bible stands as an important contribution to world literature, feminist fiction, Jewish literature, and Latin American storytelling. This long awaited English translation introduces new audiences to a daring, imaginative, and thought provoking literary work that remains strikingly relevant today.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its seamless fusion of modern sensibilities with biblical storytelling. The narrative’s playful mixture of contemporary language and ancient setting creates a fresh, irreverent tone that feels both intellectually stimulating and genuinely entertaining. Scliar’s satire is sharp without losing emotional depth, allowing the novel to critique systems of power, gender expectations, and historical authority while remaining highly engaging.
The unnamed narrator is especially memorable. Her transformation from an overlooked and marginalized figure within King Solomon’s vast harem into a literate and influential royal scribe forms the emotional and thematic heart of the story. Through her voice, the novel explores questions of authorship, identity, memory, and the silencing of women throughout history.
What makes The Woman Who Wrote the Bible particularly compelling is its layered literary approach. Beneath the humor and absurdity lies a thoughtful examination of religion, storytelling, and cultural legacy. The novel invites readers to reconsider who gets to shape history and whose voices are preserved or erased across generations.
Both witty and deeply intelligent, The Woman Who Wrote the Bible stands as an important contribution to world literature, feminist fiction, Jewish literature, and Latin American storytelling. This long awaited English translation introduces new audiences to a daring, imaginative, and thought provoking literary work that remains strikingly relevant today.
June 14, 2026
This was bizarre and subversive and quirky and hilarious and irreverent and weird. I loved the narrator’s voice and observations. I was always surprised by what she said, in it’s blunt, hilarious honesty. Everyone was lovable but I also didn’t really like anyone. It was so well written and well translated and just a really fun, entertaining read.
April 12, 2026
This was so fucking good I fully intend to read every book Scliar published. I also am going to buy a new copy of the Bible. I love books. I love reading. I love history. I love humor. I love religion. I love creativity. I love FUN! - 5
April 7, 2026
I smirked, and even chuckled to myself at the contrast of wit and absurdity from our female protagonist - not a bad way to pass commute time on a train.
June 16, 2026
What an excellent book! I kind of wonder how this would’ve been different if it was written or translated by a woman but considering that it wasn’t, I was pretty impressed with the authors’ ability to empathize with the protagonist. I also really appreciated the translation notes at the beginning.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews