Ancient literature was generally written by and produced for elite men. That fact creates specific challenges to modern interpreters of gender roles in the ancient world, especially once contemporary understandings of gender as construction and performance are embraced. In Gender and Second-Temple Judaism, world-renowned scholars take on these challenges with regard to ancient Judaism (here including early Christianity and early rabbinic Judaism as well), at once examining the ancient evidence and quite consciously addressing difficult methodological questions regarding gender. Taken together, these chapters further complicate discussions of the construction of identity (e.g., "who is a Jew?") by inflecting them with questions of gender construction as well. Scholars of ancient Judaism and of gender alike will find much to grapple with in these pages.
Kathy Ehrensperger is research professor of New Testament in Jewish Perspective at the Abraham Geiger Kolleg, University of Potsdam, Germany. Shayna Sheinfeld is honorary research scholar at the Sheffield Institute of Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies (SIIBS), University of Sheffield.
Introduction: Gender and Second Temple Judaism: Challenges and Possibilities Shayna Sheinfeld Chapter 1 "The Brooten Phenomenon": Moving Women from the Margins in Second-Temple and New Testament Scholarship Sara Parks Chapter 2 Women Itinerants, Jesus of Nazareth, and Historical-Critical Approaches: Reevaluating the Con-sensus Amy-Jill Levine Chapter 3 Paul, the Man: Enigmatic Images Kathy Ehrensperger Chapter 4 From Pain to Redemption: 1 Timothy 2:15 in its Jewish Context Sarah E.G. Fein Chapter 5 Traversing the Boundaries of Gender: Rebekah's Usurpation of the Patriarchal Role in the Book of Jubilees Chontel Syfox Chapter 6 The Reinforcement of Patriarchy and the (De)Construction of Gender Roles in Jubilees' Recep-tion of the Jacob-Esau-Narrative Daniel Vorpahl Chapter 7 Women and Gender in the Gospel of John Adele Reinhartz Chapter 8 The Framing of Female Knowledge in the Prologue of the Sibylline Oracles Francis Borchardt Chapter 9 Female Authorship in Jewish Antiquity? Gerbern Oegema Chapter 10 Pheroras' Wife: A Pharisee Woman Tal Ilan Chapter 11 Cross-dressing Zealots in Josephus's War Account Gabriella Gelardini Chapter 12 Female Officiants in Second Temple Judaism Angela Standhartinger
This is a rich collection of studies on gender from Jubilees to Josephus, Jesus to John and Paul. It challenges assumptions, and subverts the marginalisation of gender studies and its relegation to being a niche area. It is a major contribution to contemporary study of gender, an important aspect of what it meant to be human, which is at the heart of religion in Second Temple Judaism. -- William Loader, emeritus professor, Murdoch University The publication of Gender & Second Temple Judaism marks a significant milestone in the discipline; gender as a constructed category now takes its rightful place as an operative analytical lens for the study of ancient Judaism. This important book will surely be a must-have for all bibliographies of works on early Judaism. -- Meredith J.C. Warren, University of Sheffield Through fresh arguments and methodological precision, the authors make a powerful case for the centrality of gender research within Jewish studies. They analyze its current marginalization and question received wisdom on various points, such as on Jewish women's religious roles, authorship of religious texts, followers of Jesus, and Pharisees. They analyze the subtleties of masculinity and femininity within Jewish and Roman culture, examine literary representations of patriarchy and of motherhood, and assess women's authority. They explore the extent to which one can best understand specific New Testament texts on women or with female imagery within the context of contemporaneous Judaism. Students and scholars alike will find this innovative volume indispensable. -- Bernadette J. Brooten, Robert and Myra Kraft Professor, emerita, Brandeis University, and Director of the Feminist Sexual Ethics Project
