Death Wish in the Hebrew Bible

"The ideas, interests, and work that have now resulted in this book started more than a decade ago with my doctoral defense in Oslo in 2007. I was asked to give two lectures as part of my doctoral exam: one on a topic of choice and one on a topic assigned me by my committee. My lecture of choice was entitled "'My Life Draws near to the Kingdom of Death': Lament in the Old Testament and Today." In addition to my interest in lament theology, I had for a long time been intrigued by questions related to death and dying, suffering and trauma. Over the years since my defense, I developed an additional interest in the academic field of death studies. My focus on death (and everything related to it) is partly due to my own experience of being diagnosed with cancer, going through months of treatments and uncertainty, and the fear of dying before reaching the age of thirty-two. This focus is also connected to my general belief, that life's darkest sides, whether due to physical illness, mental illness, social context, abuse or other situations, have to be acknowledged and voiced"--