Athalya Brenner-Idan is Professor Emerita of the HB\OT Chair at the Universiteit van Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and currently Professor in Biblical Studies at the Department of Hebrew Culture Studies, Tel Aviv University, Israel, and Research Associate at the Biblia Arabica Project there. In addition, she is Extraordinary Professor at the Department of OT/NT, Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Her website is http://athalya-morah-letorah.com.

• Acknowledgements/ Abbreviations/ Athalya Brenner/ Introduction/ Part I/ Gendered Reading Perspectives/ Elizabeth Caddy Stanton/ The Book of Ruth/ Ilona Rashkow/ Ruth: The Discourse of Power and the Power of Discourse/ Mieke Bal/ Heroism and Proper Names, Or the Fruits of Analogy/ Athalya Brenner/ Naomi and Ruth/ Carol Meyers/ Returning Home: Ruth 1.8 and the Gendering of the Book of Ruth/ Part II/ Gendered Authorship?/ Adrien J. Bledstein/ Female Companionship: If the Book of Ruth were Written by a Woman/ Fokkelien Van Dijk-Hemmes/ Ruth: A Product of Women's Culture?/ Athalya Brenner/ Naomi and Ruth: Further Reflections/ Part III/ On Some Ancient Comments/ Leila Leah Bronner/ A The Thematic Approach to Ruth in Rabbinic Literature/ Jane Richardson Jenson/ Ruth According to Ephrem the Syrian/ Part IV/ Comments in Art/ Zefira Gitay/ Ruth and the Women of Bethlehem/ Cynthia Ozick/ Ruth/ Bibliography

Athalya Brenner-Idan is Professor Emerita of the HB\OT Chair at the Universiteit van Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and currently Professor in Biblical Studies at the Department of Hebrew Culture Studies, Tel Aviv University, Israel, and Research Associate at the Biblia Arabica Project there. In addition, she is Extraordinary Professor at the Department of OT/NT, Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Her website is http://athalya-morah-letorah.com.

• Acknowledgements/ Abbreviations/ Athalya Brenner/ Introduction/ Part I/ Gendered Reading Perspectives/ Elizabeth Caddy Stanton/ The Book of Ruth/ Ilona Rashkow/ Ruth: The Discourse of Power and the Power of Discourse/ Mieke Bal/ Heroism and Proper Names, Or the Fruits of Analogy/ Athalya Brenner/ Naomi and Ruth/ Carol Meyers/ Returning Home: Ruth 1.8 and the Gendering of the Book of Ruth/ Part II/ Gendered Authorship?/ Adrien J. Bledstein/ Female Companionship: If the Book of Ruth were Written by a Woman/ Fokkelien Van Dijk-Hemmes/ Ruth: A Product of Women's Culture?/ Athalya Brenner/ Naomi and Ruth: Further Reflections/ Part III/ On Some Ancient Comments/ Leila Leah Bronner/ A The Thematic Approach to Ruth in Rabbinic Literature/ Jane Richardson Jenson/ Ruth According to Ephrem the Syrian/ Part IV/ Comments in Art/ Zefira Gitay/ Ruth and the Women of Bethlehem/ Cynthia Ozick/ Ruth/ Bibliography

Athalya Brenner-Idan is Professor Emerita of the HB\OT Chair at the Universiteit van Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and currently Professor in Biblical Studies at the Department of Hebrew Culture Studies, Tel Aviv University, Israel, and Research Associate at the Biblia Arabica Project there. In addition, she is Extraordinary Professor at the Department of OT/NT, Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Her website is http://athalya-morah-letorah.com.

• Acknowledgements/ Abbreviations/ Athalya Brenner/ Introduction/ Part I/ Gendered Reading Perspectives/ Elizabeth Caddy Stanton/ The Book of Ruth/ Ilona Rashkow/ Ruth: The Discourse of Power and the Power of Discourse/ Mieke Bal/ Heroism and Proper Names, Or the Fruits of Analogy/ Athalya Brenner/ Naomi and Ruth/ Carol Meyers/ Returning Home: Ruth 1.8 and the Gendering of the Book of Ruth/ Part II/ Gendered Authorship?/ Adrien J. Bledstein/ Female Companionship: If the Book of Ruth were Written by a Woman/ Fokkelien Van Dijk-Hemmes/ Ruth: A Product of Women's Culture?/ Athalya Brenner/ Naomi and Ruth: Further Reflections/ Part III/ On Some Ancient Comments/ Leila Leah Bronner/ A The Thematic Approach to Ruth in Rabbinic Literature/ Jane Richardson Jenson/ Ruth According to Ephrem the Syrian/ Part IV/ Comments in Art/ Zefira Gitay/ Ruth and the Women of Bethlehem/ Cynthia Ozick/ Ruth/ Bibliography