TEXT STUDY: WOMEN |
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WOMEN MAKING A SCENE
IN THE BIBLE
“In the Bible, women are rarely born, they almost never die and when they give birth it is usually to a boy.” (Prof. Yair Zakovitch, Hebrew University). Yet from Eve to Ruth, from Sarah to Delilah, and from Queens Esther to Sheba, the women we do glimpse are endlessly intriguing. Study the stories of famous and lesser-known Biblical women, through a selection of Biblical passages, midrashim and feminist theory.
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Eve and the Problem with ParadigmsEve: archetypal woman, wife and mother, temptress, seductress, and sinner. Interpretations of Genesis 1-3 have had a profound and lasting effect on how we perceive women, sexuality, male-female relations, and even our own mortality. But a close reading of the text tells a story dramatically different from the religious/cultic traditions we have inherited. Together we examine Eve and the history of interpretation that has brought us veils and violence but also wisdom and wonder.
Barren Matriarchs: Paradox and MotherhoodThe challenge of infertility brings Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah (plus the mothers of Samuel and Samson) out of the shadows of Biblical narrative and onto the front lines of an increasing spiritual involvement of women in the evolution of Biblical Judaism.
On Camels and Character: Searching for RebeccaWhen Abraham sends his trustworthy servant to find a wife for Isaac we are led to believe that the servant has found the perfect match in Rebecca. But has he? Together we examine the text very closely looking at everything from word choice to hints of the divine agenda. Methodologically, we use Genesis 24 as a study in Biblical type scenes and as an example of how a rigorous reading can yield radical conclusions.
Tempting, Isn't It? Seduction & Power
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Pour Out Thy Wrath: Misunderstanding MiriamMiriam has been portrayed as everything from the quintessential career woman to a “catty spinster,” a powerful leader, and a third wheel. Who was the real Miriam? Study the Biblical and Midrashic accounts of Miriam’s life as a way of sorting out the varied agendas that determine her place in the unfolding of the Jewish story.
Going Head-to-Head:
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