Dr. Erica Lee Martin is Interim Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at Seattle University’s College of Humanities Education and Social Sciences. She received her PhD from the Graduate Theological Union and MA degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Seattle University. Her publications include "Preaching Against the Text: When the ‘Good Book’ Isn’t," CCCAR Journal – The Reform Jewish Quarterly (2016); "The Christian Bible and the Jews," in Anselm Companion to the Bible (2014); "Noah in the Qur’ān," in After the Deluge: Post-Biblical Traditions of Noah (2010); and "The Rabbinic Knife: How and Why the Rabbis Castrated Noah," in Interpretation, Religion and Culture in Midrash and Beyond, Vol IV (2010).
Last Updated
October 13, 2026
Books by the Author
Articles by the Author
What did Ham really do to Noah? The story of Lot’s daughters offers a clue. The two accounts share a striking sequence: a catastrophe, a righteous survivor, wine, drunkenness, and a violation within the family. By retelling Noah’s story through Lot and his daughters, the biblical author reveals his understanding of what Ham did—and turns an ambiguous episode into a more explicit account of sexual transgression.
What did Ham really do to Noah? The story of Lot’s daughters offers a clue. The two accounts share a striking sequence: a catastrophe, a righteous survivor, wine, drunkenness, and a violation within the family. By retelling Noah’s story through Lot and his daughters, the biblical author reveals his understanding of what Ham did—and turns an ambiguous episode into a more explicit account of sexual transgression.
Using imagery of tents, gardens, and flowing water—themes associated with love and sexuality in the Bible and the ancient Near East—Balaam blesses Israelite women with fertility. The Priestly authors, however, invert this blessing to present Balaam as the instigator of the Baal Peor incident.
Using imagery of tents, gardens, and flowing water—themes associated with love and sexuality in the Bible and the ancient Near East—Balaam blesses Israelite women with fertility. The Priestly authors, however, invert this blessing to present Balaam as the instigator of the Baal Peor incident.
