The issue of personal loneliness is an acute challenge in the 21st century, and any response faces the initial problems of definition and language in discussing such intensely private matters. The essays in this volume turn to ancient prose and poetry in the search for such articulation, as the Hebrew Bible offers a deep pool for reflections about terminology, the diversity within the lonely crowd, and the overlap between loneliness and theology.

Always aware of the cultural divide between ancient and contemporary contexts, the contributors pursue an interdisciplinary path via areas such as psychology and sociology, while also focusing on the role of gender, ecology, or space, and exploring the spirituality of the Bible's lonely portrayals. This range of perspectives, and the wide scope of lonely individuals within the Hebrew Bible, raises awareness for the reality and complexity of loneliness and puts into words the pain, problems, and possibilities of this highly relevant phenomenon.

Samuel Hildebrandt is Lecturer in Biblical Studies at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, UK.

Ekaterina E. Kozlova is Old Testament Lecturer at London School of Theology, UK.