The Matriarchs in Genesis Rabbah
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The Matriarchs in Genesis Rabbah

  1. 240 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Matriarchs in Genesis Rabbah

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About This Book

Katie J. Woolstenhulme considers the pertinent questions: Who were 'the matriarchs', and what did the rabbis think about them? Whilst scholarship on the role of women in the Bible and Rabbinic Judaism has increased, the authoritative group of women known as 'the matriarchs' has been neglected. This volume consequently focuses on the role and status of the biblical matriarchs in Genesis Rabbah, the fifth century CE rabbinic commentary on Genesis. Woolstenhulme begins by discussing the nature of midrash and introducing Genesis Rabbah; before exploring the term 'the matriarchs' and its development through early exegetical literature, culminating in the emergence of two definitions of the term in Genesis Rabbah – 'the matriarchs' as the legitimate wives of Israel's patriarchs, and 'the matriarchs' as a reference to Jacob's four wives, who bore Israel's tribal ancestors. She then moves to discuss 'the matriarchal cycle' in Genesis Rabbah with its three stages of barrenness; motherhood; and succession. Finally, Woolstenhulme considers Genesis Rabbah's portrayal of the matriarchs as representatives of the female sex, exploring positive and negative rabbinic attitudes towards women with a focus on piety, prayer, praise, beauty and sexuality, and the matriarchs' exemplification of stereotypical, negative female traits. This volume concludes that for the ancient rabbis, the matriarchs were the historical mothers of Israel, bearing covenant sons, but also the present mothers of Israel, continuing to influence Jewish identity.

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Information

Publisher
T&T Clark
Year
2020
ISBN
9780567695741
Edition
1
Topic
Theology & Religion
Subtopic
Biblical Studies

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Acknowledgements
  6. Note on Texts and Translations
  7. Abbreviations
  8. Chapter 1 Introduction
  9. Part I ‘The Matriarchs’ in Genesis Rabbah
  10. Part II ‘The Matriarchal Cycle’: The Portrayal of the Matriarchs in Genesis Rabbah
  11. Part III The Rabbis and the Matriarchs as Women
  12. Bibliography
  13. Index of References
  14. Index of Authors