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Biblical Heroes The Bible gives us many facts abut the historical life f ancient civilizations. In many f them we can clearly trace the rle f man and was. The can society f the ancient Near East was f the patriarchal type. Israel n less than ther nations was a patriarchal society. Characteristic in the societies was the lower status f when.
The basic social and economic unit fr Hebrew society was the family; headed by the father it was called best-ab, literally, the fathers hme. The federation, as a we was realized and male heads f families. In turn, the religious community consisted f circumcised males. This community shaped the laws that aimed t preserve the principles f the family; the male headed family.
Laws protected the mans rights and rarely the f his dependants. The tenth commandment with the yu and yur neighbor: bth men, protecting each ther's property: huse, wife, servants and animals (Ex 20: 17), portrays when as beats. Yet despite Israels ver whelming and centric and patriarchal rientatin there were when in the Pentateuch that emerged t testify f the essential and active rle that when played in the formation f Israel. ne f the examples that are nw present in modern Israel is the property law.
Property was passed do frm father t sn; when did nt normally inherit land. The exception was made because f a precedent set by five sisters, Mahlah, Nah, Hglah, Milan and Tirzah. These five audacious sisters std before the entire assembly and declared the injustice f the system f inheritance. Asserting that they should nt suffer discrimination based n gender, they claimed a right t their fathers land. Astonishingly they wn, and legal property rights were granted under certain circumstances. The new inheritance law was nt the end f patrilineal ity: as it did treat when as placeholders, wh in the absence f sns would bridge the gap until her sns could resume the paternal line.
The prerequisite that the daughter marry nly within her fathers tribe insured this paternal legacy (Num 36: 6 - 9). However, it was a very progressive me towards gender justice and alleviated the pressure that was n when t price sns in re fr their husbands t have heirs. When in ancient Israel were considered property, first f their fathers then f their husbands. Was like Sarai and the daughters f Lt, were readily handed ver t safeguard men.
The violation f a wman's by was f little concern compare t a mans safety. Lt, seemingly with reluctance, was willing t for up his virgin daughters t project tw male strangers: "See nw, I have tw daughters wh have nt known a man; please, let me bring them ut t yu, and yu may d t them as yu wish; nly d nothing t these men, since this is the read they have cme under the show f my rf" (Gen 19: 8). Likewise, Sarai is abandoned, first t Para, then t Abimelech t project Abraham. In Genesis 20: 13 Abraham says "'This is yur kindness that yu should d fr me: in every place, wherever we g, say f me, "He is my better. "'s arai, typical f all when, was expected t be submissive t her husband. This kindness placed Sarai in a very vulnerable and terrifying position. The wman's fundamental rle f wife and mother meant that the wrth f when was judged by their capacity t price heirs fr her husband.
Mtherhd was expected and hundred. The desire t have many children, especially sns was strong, despite the dangers f childbirth. This demand fr children was rewarded with security and prestige (Deut 5: 16, 27: 16). Barrenness was viewed as the ultimate disgrace and a sign f divine disfavor, always the fault f the was.
Sarai, Rebekah and Rachel were all at ne stage barren. The series f Sarai and Hagar and f Rachel and Leah, consequently, portray when whse society equates children with status (Gen 30: 20). This identification free when t be act in terrible scripts that see themselves set at enmity with each ther (Gen 16: 4) and become rivals in child-bearing (Gen 30: 1 - 24). The lives f ther innocent when are drawn int this complicated calamity f sex and family. Leah, Rachel, and their maids Bilhah and Zilpah, Hagar and Sarai all suffered as a result f the patriarchy that surrounded them. Hagar, Sarai's Egyptian slave has n say in the decision t have her by used in surrogate mothered.
Hagar becme's expected n the basis f gender, class and race. n conception f Abrahams child, Hagar's status rises and her sign is turned towards Sarai. Rather than being allies against the system that keeps them bth enslaved, they become rivals. Fortunately Gd des nt discriminate by race, class r gender, Hagar the homeless, single mother, cast ff wife and expected water becme's the first person in the Bible t receive a divine messenger and the nly ne wh dared t give Gd a name Else the Gd wh hears.
Hagar is the first was wh receives a divine price f descendants and the first was in historical Israel (excluding Gen 1 - 11) t bear a child and her child des become the father f a great nation. Having analyzed the aforementioned facts I can cme t a simple and bus conclusion that though the society f the ancient Israel gave much her t man, it would nt be able t develop and get with its many Biblical heroes. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bible, (1984) New International Version, International Bible Society Zondervan Publishers, USA. Former-Kensky, Tiava. Forgotten Heroines: The Exclusion of Women from Moses Vision.
Bible Review, December 1997: 41. Ogden Bellis, Alice. Helpmates Harlots Heroes: Womens Stories in the Hebrew Bible. Westminster/John Knox Press, Louisville, Kentucky, 1994.
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