or died at birth, or if the mother herself died during childbirth, it was she who
informed the waiting father. Although the midwife was often the one who in-
formed the father of the sex of the newborn, some sources accept her testi-
mony as to the hour of birth, but do not allow her testimony on the sex of the
baby.^174 Perhaps they feared that a midwife might declare that the newborn
was a boy in order to pacify a waiting father, and this might cause troubles af-
terward. In any case, this division of midwives’ responsibilities accords with
the other issues examined. She was to be trusted on practical matters (such as
the time of birth), but not with the determination of the sex of a child. When
a son was born, she mediated between the female and male space in an addi-
tional way. According to R. Gershom the Circumciser’s book, it was the mid-
wife who prepared babies for the circumcision ceremony.^175
The circumciser is a second mediating figure. As will be discussed in detail
in the next chapter, he turned a male infant into part of the male community.
He entered into the female space both before and after the circumcision to
check his patient. This relationship is supported by the text discussed above,
in which the circumciser’s manual includes a chapter devoted to midwifery
techniques. This may be an attempt to supervise this area in which women
were the practitioners.
Research on Christian society has illustrated symbols of male involvement
in the seemingly female birth process. For example, Gail McMurray Gibson
has argued that pictures on trays used for serving the parturient emphasize the
male supervision that underscored the events of birth. Along these lines (al-
though perhaps in a more forceful way), I would suggest that the connections
between the midwives and the circumcisers, specifically, as well as the wider
engagement of men both on the ideological level and from behind the doors
of the birthing chamber, reflect male involvement in the birth process.
Birth was the moment of entrance into society. Girls were born into the mi-
lieu they would belong to for much of their lives—they too would be mothers
in time. Boys had to start the process of joining male society. Both girls and
boys had to become part of their communities. The ways in which these initi-
ations were conducted will be taken up in the next chapters.
rick simeone
(Rick Simeone)
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