Transjordan in Biblical Literature

The Transjordan holds a significant yet conflicted position in the Hebrew Bible. While some texts fully incorporate it within Israelite territory, others suggest a more ambiguous status, raising questions about Israel's territorial ideology and the role of the Transjordan in the ancient Israelite imagination. This book employs historical geography, literary analysis, and critical spatial theory to explore the physical, conceptual, and experiential dimensions of the Transjordan as it is variously portrayed in Israel's foundational narratives. It argues that multiple perspectives on the Transjordan coexisted and were available to authors who used space creatively to convey ideas beyond physical boundaries and outlines a methodology for future research into the use of space in biblical texts.