"A disarming, intelligent, and timely book" that re-examines religious history and scripture with a focus on the feminine experience ( The New York Times). In the world that created the Bible, there were no female scholars and theologians, yet in recent decades, owing to such stunning discoveries as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi texts, as well as advances in historical understanding and the rise of feminism, a generation of scholars has found new ways to interpret the Scriptures and the societies that created them—exploring avenues traditionally ignored by male-dominated religious study. Surveying the new scholarship and the personalities of those who have created it, The Word According to Eve not only explores afresh the history of our religions but offers exciting new challenges to our sense of worship. "Provocative and lucid . . . an engaging book." — The Boston Globe