Women of the Bible

Women in the Bible An overview of the Bible passages that deal with women’s role in the family and in church, and an understanding of the situation of Christian women

Trinity College of Biblical Studies

Trinity College of Biblical Studies-Undergraduate Studies

Trinity College of Biblical Studies Library

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Women in the Bible An overview of the Bible passages that deal with women’s role in the family and in church, and an understanding of the situation of Christian women

Welcome

Women of the Bible

In this course, we will consider images of women in the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and related literature from the biblical period ("apocrypha," "pseudepigrapha"), exploring the range of roles that women play within biblical narratives (as wives and mothers; as heroes and villains; as warriors, queens, and prophets), the variety of metaphorical/symbolic uses of femininity in biblical traditions, and legal and ethical precepts related to the status of women in ancient Israel, early Judaism, the Jesus Movement, and early Christianity. We will ask what these ancient, literary representations of women and femininity might tell us about the experiences of "real" women and men in their authors' time, but we will also see how biblical stories about women have been reinterpreted according to the values of different times and cultures, and we will discuss the ways in which biblical traditions about women may have impacted the understanding of gender in Western culture, past and present. The themes of women and gender will simultaneously serve as a focus for a survey of biblical literature and history more broadly, pursued with a special concern for the different social and cultural contexts that shaped the canonical literature of Judaism and Christianity. Accordingly, no previous background in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament is assumed or required.

Course Requirements: Two Essay quizzes: 20%; Two brief papers (3-5 pp.): 30%

Reading Assignments 10%; Final exam: 40%
Required Books
Other required readings -- such as selections from biblical texts and other ancient sources -- are accessible from this website, from which the assigned passages can be read and printed out.

Read Online Books and Articles

Little-Known Women of the Bible

Notable Women of Olden Time

Women of Faith Magazine

Schedule of Assignments: - Introduction: What is “The Bible,” and what can we learn from the academic study of biblical women?; 1- Women in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel -; - Women in Second Temple Judaism -; , Women in the New Testament and Early Church -
Bibles in English translation
Students are not required to purchase a bible for this course, since assigned passages from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, as well as "apocryphal"/deutero-canonical books and other ancient sources, can be printed from the course website (see links above). There are also a wide variety of bible translations available on-line for browsing and searching. For this course, students are encouraged to use the following:: Revised Standard Version (RSV): Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, "apocryphal"/Deuterocanonical Books, New Testament; Jewish Publication Society (JPS): Hebrew Bible
Student who are interested in further studies in biblical traditions, Judaism, and/or Christianity may wish to purchase a Study Bible; these handy volumes contain non-denominational English translations (i.e., RSV or NRSV) of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, “apocryphal”/deutero-canonical books, and New Testament, together with scholarly commentary and introductory essays. Copies of the HarperCollins Study Bible are available for optional purchase at Titles. The Oxford Study Bible with Apocrypha is also recommended. Multiple copies of both books can be found in the library, as well.
Other Resources
A recommended but optional book, which will be available for purchase at Titles and placed on reserve at Mills library, is: Carol Meyers, et al, eds., Women in Scripture: A Dictionary of Named and Unnamed Women in the Hebrew Bible, the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, and the New Testament (Eerdmans, 2000).

Links Page:http://faculty.cbhs.org/rmartin/main_contents.htm; Women in the Synoptic Gospels
http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Synoptics_Women.htm

Statement on Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notion on the transcript (notation reads: "Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty"), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.
It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty.
The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:: Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one's own or for which other credit has been obtained.; Improper collaboration in group work.; Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.

WOMEN IN THE HEBREW BIBLE & ANCIENT ISRAEL


Created “in His image”? Females and humankind in the “P” creation account: *Genesis 1:1-2:4 [NRSV: Gen 1, Gen 2 ]; (Recommended: Meyers, pp. 1-11)

Eve and the expulsion from Eden: Females and humankind in the “J” creation account: *Genesis 2:4-5:5 [NRSV: Gen 2, Gen 3, Gen 4, Gen 5 ]; Related Resources:; Reuven Kimelman, "The Seduction of Eve and Feminist Readings of the Garden of Eden", Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary Journal, vol. 1, no. 2 (1998).; "Eve and the Identity of Women" by Christopher L.C.E. Witcombe, an art historian at Sweet Briar College.; The Temptation of Adam and Eve: Images; Alan Humm (UPenn); Ecole Initiative, Index of Images: Eve


Barrenness and blessed births: The matriarchs and their handmaids: *Genesis chs. 12; 15-22; 24; 26-27; 29-30 [NRSV: Gen 12, Gen 15, Gen 16, Gen 17, Gen 18, Gen 19, Gen 20, Gen 21, Gen 22, Gen 24, Gen 26, Gen 27, Gen 29, Gen 30, ]; Frymer-Kensky, pp. 4-23, 91-98, 225-237; Related Resources:; Family and Society in Ancient Israel; by Brian Schwimmer, an anthropologist at the University of Manitoba; see esp. the geneological chart of the matriarchs and patriarchs

The rape of Dinah and the trickery of Tamar: *Genesis chs. 34 & 38 [NRSV: Gen 34, Gen 38 ]; Frymer-Kensky, pp. 179-198 (recommended: pp. 199-208); Related Resources:; Women in Biblical Law; Alan Humm (UPenn)

Egyptian women, Israelite women, and the Exodus: *Genesis ch. 39 (recommended: skim chs. 37, 39-41 for context) [NRSV: Gen 37, Gen 39, Gen 40, Gen 41 ]; *Exodus 1-2; 15:1-21 [NRSV: Ex 1, Ex 2, Ex 15]; Frymer-Kensky, pp. 24-33, 74-77

Ruth, Naomi, and the Davidic kingship: *Ruth (entire book!) [NRSV: Ruth 1; 2; 3; 4]; Frymer-Kensky, pp. 238-256 (recommended: pp. 257-282) [18]

Women warriors, queens, and consorts: *Judges chs. 4-5, esp. 4:17-23 [NRSV: Jdg 4, 5]; *1 Kings 21 (See also 1 Kings 16:31; 18; 19; 2 Kings 9) [NRSV: 1 Kgs 21 + 16; 18; 19; 2 Kgs 9]

Wisdom as God's daughter: Feminine imagery in the Wisdom tradition: *Proverbs 7-9 [NRSV: Prov 7, 8, 9]; *Job 28 [NRSV: Job 28]; *Wisdom of Solomon 6 [NRSV: Wid 6]; *Wisdom of ben Sira 24 [NRSV: Sir 24]; Frymer-Kensky, pp. 283-291

Babylon as whore, Jerusalem as unfaithful wife: Feminine images of destruction and Exile: *Isaiah 1:21-23; 3:25-26; 47:5-7; 49:7-26; 54:1-10; 57:3-13; 62:4-5 [NRSV: Isa 1, 3, 47, 49, 54, 57, 62,]; *Ezekiel 16; 23 [NRSV: Ezek 16, 23,]; *Jeremiah 2-4; 13:20-27 [NRSV: Jer 2, 3, 4, 13]; *Lamentations 1 [NRSV: Lam 1]; Frymer-Kensky, pp. 333-338

Entrance Page

Trinity College of Biblical Studies

Women of the Bible