具体描述
Could you trust a woman named Delilah with pair of scissors? Would you eat food offered by a curious Eve? This text presents a broad overview covering the place of women in the writings in the Old Testament. The essays examine attitudes toward women and their status in ancient Near Eastern societies, focusing on the Israelite society portrayed by the Hebrew Bible. This collection offers a selection of writings about the social, cultural and gender codes reflected in Biblical texts.
The Veiled Figures: Reinterpreting Gender Roles in Early Mesopotamian Civilizations A Deep Dive into the Social and Religious Landscape of Sumer, Akkad, and Babylonia This comprehensive volume ventures beyond the well-trodden paths of later Abrahamic traditions to illuminate the complex and often surprisingly powerful roles women occupied within the earliest urban societies of the Near East. The Veiled Figures offers an intensive, source-driven exploration of the social structures, religious cosmologies, and economic realities that shaped the lives of women in Sumer, Akkad, and the Old Babylonian period (c. 3500–1600 BCE). Eschewing broad generalizations, this study meticulously analyzes primary textual and archaeological evidence—from legal codes and administrative tablets to funerary inscriptions and temple iconography—to reconstruct a nuanced picture of female agency, constraint, and influence. The book is structured around three interlocking thematic sections: The Legal and Domestic Sphere, The Sacred and Political Realm, and The Material Culture of Womanhood. Part I: The Legal and Domestic Sphere: Property, Marriage, and Power within the Household This section interrogates the foundational legal frameworks that governed daily life, paying close attention to how gender intersected with property rights, contractual obligations, and family lineage. We begin by examining the Code of Ur-Nammu and the earlier Sumerian city-state laws, contrasting them with the more codified structure of the Code of Hammurabi. Far from presenting a monolithic narrative of female subjugation, the evidence reveals a spectrum of legal possibilities. We dedicate significant analysis to the legal status of women as property holders. Through close readings of Nuzi tablets concerning dowry dissolution and adoption contracts, we trace the mechanisms by which women, particularly elite women and those of means, could own, manage, and bequeath significant assets, including land, slaves, and silver. The role of the nadītu (a specific class of "consecrated" women in the Old Babylonian period, often associated with temples in cities like Sippar and Babylon) is examined in detail. These women, frequently daughters of prominent families, maintained remarkable economic autonomy, engaging in money-lending, land transactions, and establishing independent households, effectively operating as semi-independent economic actors outside the typical constraints of direct patriarchal control. The dynamics of marriage are explored not merely as a social contract, but as an economic merger. Chapter analysis focuses on the concept of bride-price (for the groom's family) versus dowry (for the bride's control). We dissect divorce proceedings—delineating the grounds for separation (e.g., infertility, neglect, social misconduct) and the differential financial outcomes for the husband versus the wife, particularly regarding the return of the dowry. A dedicated chapter addresses the legal and social positioning of "secondary wives," concubines, and non-citizens (such as foreign captives) incorporated into Mesopotamian households, highlighting the rigid hierarchies that existed even within domestic units. Part II: The Sacred and Political Realm: Priestesses, Queens, and Divine Intermediaries The influence of women often transcended the domestic enclosure, penetrating the highest echelons of religious authority and royal administration. This part moves into the temples and palaces, exploring the specialized roles women occupied in managing the divine economy. Central to this discussion is the role of the En-Priestess (Entu), a position of immense religious and political gravity in Sumerian city-states, particularly Ur. Drawing upon inscriptions from the Early Dynastic period, we reconstruct the process of selection, the political alliances forged through these appointments, and the economic administration controlled by these high priestesses, who often served as regents or key stabilizing forces during dynastic transitions. The influence of figures like Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon of Akkad and the first known named author in world history, is analyzed not only as a poet but as a powerful political agent whose hymns solidified Akkadian imperial ideology by merging the gods of Sumer and Akkad under the banner of Inanna/Ishtar. The volume then shifts focus to the Royal Household (É.GAL). We move beyond the simple title of "Queen" (nin/šarrat) to investigate the varied functions of royal consorts and mothers. Through administrative texts from Mari and later Assyrian documents, we trace the specialized diplomatic functions women performed—hosting foreign emissaries, managing royal correspondence, and acting as guarantors for treaties. The political clout of powerful royal mothers in the Neo-Assyrian period, whose influence often superseded that of their reigning sons, is examined using both royal annals and the Emar archive, revealing instances of women managing vast provincial estates and intervening in military appointments. Part III: The Material Culture of Womanhood: Iconography, Ritual, and Daily Life The final section grounds the abstract legal and political analysis in the tangible realities of female existence, utilizing archaeological finds and ritual texts. We explore iconography, examining how female deities (Inanna, Ishtar, Ningal) were visually represented across various periods, and how these divine images informed the idealization and portrayal of mortal women. Specific attention is paid to the stylistic evolution of statuettes depicting women, from the wide-eyed votive figures of the Early Dynastic period to the elaborate jewelry and hairstyles depicted on Neo-Assyrian reliefs, tracing shifts in aesthetic values related to fertility, status, and piety. A significant chapter is dedicated to funerary practices. By analyzing royal tombs (such as those at Ur) and smaller, private burials, we investigate evidence of female sacrifice or accompanying burials, juxtaposing these finds with texts that describe the appropriate mourning rituals and the provisions made for the deceased woman's spirit (etemmu). This analysis seeks to differentiate between mandated ritual requirements and instances where exceptional wealth or status dictated more elaborate posthumous arrangements. Finally, the volume concludes with a detailed look at literacy and scribal culture. While male scribes dominated institutional record-keeping, we investigate the scattered but significant evidence of literate women—those involved in private correspondence, business management, and religious record-keeping, painting a picture of a society where access to specialized knowledge, though gendered, was not entirely exclusive. The Veiled Figures is essential reading for scholars of Ancient Near Eastern history, gender studies, and comparative religion. It reconstructs the voices and actions of Mesopotamian women from the earliest written records, revealing a sophisticated societal framework where gender dictated roles, yet simultaneously provided avenues for remarkable influence and economic autonomy within the cradle of civilization.
