A lecture by acclaimed scholar C.L. Seow drew a large crowd to Hartford Seminary on Sept. 30 to hear about “Job’s Wife in Jewish, Muslim and Christian Interpretations.”

C.L. Seow is Henry Snyder Gehman Professor of Old Testament Language and Literature at Princeton Theological Seminary. A recognized expert in Old Testament studies and the general editor of the Illuminations series, he is also the author of the Anchor Bible commentary on Ecclesiastes.

Dr. Seow told the crowd that Job’s wife is a controversial figure who has been viewed variously as a shrew and as a devoted companion. He traced the history of these interpretations through each religion, illustrating his points with the artwork of different time periods.

Dr. Seow’s recently released book is all about Job. Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, according to publisher Wm. B. Eerdman’s Publishing Co.,”pays close attention to the reception history of Job, including Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Western secular interpretations as expressed in theological, philosophical, and literary writings and in the visual and performing arts. Seow offers a primarily literary-theological interpretation of Job, a new translation, and detailed commentary.”