Jill Hammer – författare

This is an exceptional anthology of 24 stories about the women in the Bible. Drawing from the ancient tradition of midrash, the author brings to life the inner world and the experiences of these women, weaving rabbinic legends and her own imagination into the biblical texts. Readers will discover Lilith—not as the night demon alluded to in Isaiah, but as another aspect of Eve herself. Sarah is a moon priestess and as great a prophet as Abraham. Miriam is not merely a figure of song and dance, but also one of revelation, a source of Torah. These stories were written to give biblical women the honor they deserve—due to them as prophets, rulers, and teachers. The Introduction to Sisters at Sinai offers the rationale and the need for midrash - the writing in the margins - expressing how it can be liberating as well as deeply comforting. Perfect for women's studies courses, adult study groups, confirmation classes and book groups.

"With beautiful images and words, The Garden of Time offers a magical path through the seasons and allows the sacred breath of life to blow through all our souls." - Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of The Shema in the MezuzahIn this story based on ancient Jewish legend, Adam and Eve walk through the Garden of Eden, noticing what is happening around them and deciding what holidays they will celebrate based on what they see, smell, hear and taste. Gorgeous text and art illuminate Judaism, the calendar and the environment for both children and adults. Guides to the Jewish holidays and Jewish iconography are included.

The story of four women who set out to uncover the secret origins of an intricate, magical city—and to change its fate. “Jill Hammer’s first fantasy novel offers beautifully detailed worldbuilding and, like Le Guin’s work, is underpinned by themes of gender, sexuality, prejudice, and politics.” —Zoe L. Tongue, Ancillary Review of BooksIstehar Sha'an, whose unique powers allow her to communicate with trees and books, has led her community of refugee forest people to a remarkable place. In the archipelago-city of Moonstone, the Sha'an people find themselves in an extraordinary, multicultural metropolis that houses the Library: the world's all-encompassing repository of wisdom.But in their search for a new home, the refugees soon garner the suspicion of Moonstone's locals, who forbid their magical practices. And when a hostile prince makes a bid to inherit the city's rule from his father, Istehar and her people realize they may be faced with exile—or worse.Meanwhile, Istehar has married three wives of Moonstone—a brave warrior librarian, a subtle-minded former concubine, and a tenacious apothecary who has spent years trying to solve her parents' murder. Driven by magical intuition and guided by a mysterious book, Istehar and her wives embark on a journey that will transform not only their lives, but the city of Moonstone itself.Readers of Ursula K. Le Guin and Guy Gavriel Kay will delight in The Moonstone Covenant's richly imagined world of mysterious archives, bookboats, and divinations—and its tales of both betrayal and healing.

In A Field Guide to the Jewish Otherworld, author Jill Hammer leads readers on an enchanting journey through the Jewish spirit realms, introducing us to magical beings like angels and demons, house spirits and spirits of the wild, mythological creatures and ancestral presences. These beings-found in the Bible, the Talmud, modern folktales, medieval spell books, and beyond-deserve our rapt attention. Full book description forthcoming.