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Bible

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Women of Solomon: Bible

Solomon, third king of Israel, is said to have had a harem that included 700 wives and 300 concubines. Many of those women were not Israelites and refused to adopt Israelite traditions and religion, reinforcing a common Biblical motif about foreign women.

Woman Wisdom: Bible

In some of the books of the Hebrew Bible, “wisdom” is personified as a female character. Her portrayal often draws comparisons to goddesses outside of the Hebrew Bible, although there is debate over whether Wisdom was worshipped as a goddess. Nevertheless, the stories of Woman Wisdom are significant for their use of a woman’s voice in male books.

Wise Woman of Abel Beth-Maacah: Bible

The second of two “wise women” portrayed in 2 Samuel lived in a fortified city in northern Israel. More straightforwardly than the story of the wise woman of Tekoa (2 Samuel 14), this narrative depicts what must have been typical leadership activities of a woman in this accepted position against the larger political tensions of David’s reign.

Wise Woman of Tekoa: Bible

The midrash includes the wise woman from Tekoa among the twenty-three truly upright and righteous women who came out of Israel. The Rabbi’ note that because the residents of Tekoa frequently used olive oil, they were wise. The woman’s wisdom was therefore linked to the blessing of olive oil and, in the opinion of the Rabbis, reflected the wisdom of all the area’s inhabitants.

Wife of Lot: Bible

Lot, his wife, and his daughters are urged to escape the violence in Sodom that ensues when the local people want to rape two visitors to Lot’s house. Lot and his family are told not to look back when they flee, but Lot’s wife does look back and is turned into a pillar of salt. This gripping narrative contains elements of folklore and provides an explanation for the salt formations along the Dead Sea.

Wife of Job: Midrash and Aggadah

Job’s wife is the subject of a moral critique by the midrash for advising her husband to commit blasphemy. Different midrashim account for the possible outcomes and motives of her actions.

Wife of Job: Bible

In characterizing her husband’s unconditional devotion to God as an act of cowardice, Job’s nameless wife is the one who opens the possibility of speaking against God. Much like Eve, Job’s wife prompts her husband to doubt God’s use of divine powers and, in doing so, she deepens his knowledge and opens his eyes.

Wife of Job: Apocrypha

While the Wife of Job has a limited role in the biblical narrative, the apocryphal Divrei Lyov transforms her into a central character of the plot. Unique to the apocryphal account, Job is cited as having two wives, Utzit and Dinah, whereas the midrashic account has Job marrying only one woman.

Widow of Zarephath: Midrash and Aggadah

The widow of Zarephath plays a small but important role in Elijah’s story. She feeds Elijah in her home. Her son soon dies, and Elijah pleads to God for the power to resurrect him.

Widow of Zarephath: Bible

Narratives about the ninth-century B.C.E. prophet Elijah are found in 1 Kings 17–19 and 21 and in 2 Kings 1–2. Like his successor, Elisha, he is depicted as having many of the attributes of Israel’s later prophetic figures. One of these characteristics—concern for the oppressed and socially marginalized—is revealed in the story of the widow of Zarephath.

Solomon’s Judgment: Bible

In this story, King Solomon is asked to consider the case of two women who gave birth to sons but, due to the death of one of their children, are fighting over the remaining child. While the story is generally cited as an example of Solomon’s wisdom, this narrative also shows the possessiveness of maternal love.

Timna, concubine of Eliphaz: Midrash and Aggadah

After being denied conversion by the men of Abraham’s household, Timna becomes the concubine of Eliphaz. The Rabbis portray this action as proof of her genuine desire to convert, and Israel is punished for the Patriarch’s actions. Another midrash uses Timna to clarify an issue of lineage, ultimately showing that Esau’s descendants were born of adultery.

Susanna: Apocrypha

Susanna’s story comes from Greek manuscripts of the Book of Daniel and is included in the Christian but not Jewish canon. She was a Babylonian Jewish woman who was falsely accused of adultery by two judges, but was saved by God through Daniel.

Sotah, Tractate

The Mishnaic Tractate Sotah deals mainly with the trial by ordeal undergone in the Temple by a sotah, a woman whose husband suspected her of adultery. Compared to that described in the Bible, the Mishnaic trial is much harsher and transforms the ritual into a judgement on immoral behavior, not just marital infidelity. Furthermore, the Mishnaic sotah was unusually stringent for its time and is rarely mentioned after the Mishnah.

Sotah

Required of women who are suspected of committing adultery, sotah is a ritual involving a priest to confirm whether the act occurred or not; a woman who has been unfaithful is made infertile. There are few records of sotah actually taking place, although the ritual is described at length in some post-Biblical literature.

Shunammite: Bible

The “great woman of Shunem” appears twice in the narratives about the ninth-century B.C.E. prophet Elisha. Her title suggests wealth, but also, as the story unfolds, independence of mind and faith.

Shua's daughter: Midrash and Aggadah

The Rabbis do not give significant attention to Shua’s daughter, who is the wife of Judah; the midrash generally views their marriage as a step down for Judah. However, the narratives of their children are analyzed in the midrashim, and the Rabbis give special meaning to the names and birthplaces of the children.

Shelomith 2: Bible

Shelomith was the daughter of Zerubbabel, a governor (c. 520–510 B.C.E.) of the province of Yehud. The recent discovery of her name on a Judean seal suggests an honorable status in society.

Shelomith 1: Bible

The story of Shelomith relates to the Egyptian practices concerning parentage and how a child is named. Shelomith herself is not explicitly described in the narrative, but the story of her son shows the punishment issued to blasphemers of God.

Shelomith 1: Midrash and Aggadah

The narrative of Shelomith is used by the Rabbis as the exception that proves the rule of Israelite marital fidelity. One tradition relates that her son was born out of wedlock with an Egyptian man who deceived her, while another says that her son was born to an Egyptian man after the former murdered her Israelite husband.

Serah, daughter of Asher: Midrash and Aggadah

While Serah, daughter of Asher, is mentioned only very briefly in the Bible, a plethora of midrashic traditions exist about her, and thus the faceless Biblical character becomes a fascinating personality. Her history is intertwined with the story of the migration to Egypt and enslavement, and with redemption and the return to Erez Israel.

Samaritan Sect

Samaritan liturgy featured women prominently and showed them in positions of power. However, there is a lack of women in the current Samaritan community, and any Samaritan women are subject to strict laws. Marriage between cousins is common, rules pertaining to divorce and adultery favor the man, and stringent laws surround ritual purity.

Rizpah: Bible

Rizpah is the concubine of Saul, the first king of Israel. She has two sons, one of whom briefly takes the throne. However, both of her children are killed by David and she helps ensure that their bodies get the correct burial.

Rahab: Bible

A Canaanite woman living in Jericho, Rahab is a prostitute who is also a biblical heroine. Rahab, who begins as triply marginalized (Canaanite, woman, and prostitute), moves to the center as bearer of a divine message and herald of Israel in its new land. She is remembered in Jewish tradition as the great proselyte, as ancestress of kings and prophets, and, in the New Testament, as ancestress of Jesus.

Post-Biblical and Rabbinic Women

IIn antiquity, the treatment of women drew from patriarchal biblical traditions. Despite a few notable exceptions, women had minimal legal rights but were active participants in alternative Jewish sects and could hold office. As rabbinic material was codified, control over women increased, although the literature was not exclusively restrictive towards women.

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