Faith in a Silent God: The Characterization of Hannah in Pseudo-Philo

The biblical character of Hannah in Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum is a telling example of how Pseudo-Philo reworks his heroes into models of radical trust in God. And yet, the magnitude of LAB’s rewriting of her story has not received the attention it warrants. Hannah’s characterization in LAB is remarkable for the fact that she is an oppressed woman in a narrative dominated by prominent male figures. Her circumstances, as portrayed by Pseudo-Philo, far exceed the dire situation of the biblical Hannah in the opening chapters of 1 Samuel. Indeed, her situation demands greater trust in God than any of the male figures in the narrative, with the possible exception of Abraham at the fiery furnace (LAB 6). In terms of Israel’s social spectrum, Hannah lies at the complete opposite end of the male leaders in LAB; she is sterile, a childless second wife with no leadership role whatsoever. Yet the multifarious vindication she receives from God, without ever hearing a word from him, warrants her a place of unexpected honor on the list of Israel’s exemplars of true faith in God. Whilst previous interpreters have noticed Hannah’s importance to the narrative, my paper offers a comprehensive account of the pattern of faith that Hannah models. This pattern is evident in the other male leaders in LAB, but Hannah’s pattern is different in one significant aspect: God never speaks to her, nor does she hear his words secondhand. Pseudo-Philo’s narrative is framed by divine speech, indicating the theological gravity of the author’s removal of a divine word for Hannah prior to the birth of Samuel. Through Hannah, Pseudo-Philo delivers a poignant message to a Jewish audience awaiting deliverance from Roman oppression: she stands with Abraham as a preeminent example of radical faith in the God who at times seems deliberately silent.