Between Text and Artifact: Integrating Archaeology in Biblical Studies Teaching (Archaeology and Biblical Studies)

40 BE1WEEN'mXTANDAlfnFACf

wouldnolhaveexistedinancient Israel,wheremostproductivelabor
wasdoneinthehouseholdandwithoutmonetarycompensation.
Breadproduction wasnOIa simplemalter.Onlytheseedsofcereal
cropsareedible,andtheycannotbedigestedinrawform.Theprocessing
activitiesrequiredtotransformtheharvestedgrainintoedibleformare
manifold:parchingorsoaking,millingorgrinding,heatingandlorleaven-
ing.Unliketheactivities(planting,plowing,sowing,reaping)required 10
producethegrain,whichwereseasonal,bread produclionwasa daily
activity, takingasmuchasthreework hoursa dayperhousehold.^19 In
addition,asonemighthaveexpected(thoughcouldnotassume),bread
productioncanindeedbeas identified asa femaleactivity.
Biblical texts that mention thetools (such as grinders, millstones,
ovens)andprocesses(grinding,kneading,baking)ofbreadpreparation,if
theyhappenalsotoindicatethepersonsusingthosetoolsorcarryingout
thoseactivities, indicatethat women werebread producers in ancient
Israel.SuchtextsarcExod11:5;Lev26:26; Eccles12:3;Isa47:2;andJer
7:18;althoughitispost-Israelite,seealsoMatt24:41,20TheLeviticustexlis
especiallysignificantinthatit indicatesfemaleresponsibilityforportion
controlaswellasbreadproduction,Italsosuggests,asdoestheMatlhcw
passage,,hatsomeoftheworkofbreadmakingwascooperative.Other
relevanttextsidentifyingwomenasbakers(andcooks)are1 Sam8: 13 and
28:21. Furthermore, thedramaticstoryof!he womanofThebezQudg
9:53-54;2 Sam 11 :21),whorescueshercitybytossinganuppermillstone
altheenemy,showsawomanputting 10 militaryuseanobjectIhatwas
partofherinventoryoftoolsfordailyusage.[nfact,thisstorymaybethe
onebiblicaltextforwhichanartifactcanbeusedfordirectilluminationof
thetext;forthat,Iwouldrecommendhavingstudentsread"AWatermelon
NamedAbimelech."21
Thatwomcnworkedtogether 10 producebreadisperhapsthemost
salientfeatureofthebiblicaltextsandonethatcanbedirectly relatedto
archaeological materials. For example, when the location ofgrinding
stonescanbe ascertained,it isnot unusualtorindmorethanonesuch
implemenlina household,indicatingthatthelime-consumingandtedious

19 Ith,IStx:enCSlimatt."dlh:nittook:lbOlitanhourtoprepare4/5kg.ofnour,Withd:lily
percapit:lconsumptionofnOlirC:llculalcdHI:lbOlll1/2kg.,itwouldhavetakenalmostthree
hourstoproduceenoughediblegr:linforsixpersons(fromanun:mrihutcd:midctitled
"CommonRoots"intheApril-May 1999 issueofNi..'01Kt.'dllmillNews).
20 See:IlsolheremarkofRabbanGam:llielth,lt"thrcewomenkneadtogether,bakeit
lbre;ldlinoneMOve"(y.PesafJ.J,30b).WrillenSOlJrce~fromancientEgyptandMesopotamia
simibrlylinkbreadproductionwithwomen.
21 DeniseDickHerr.melMary1'.Uorcl."AW:ucrmclonNamedAbimelech,"BAR28/1
(2002):34-37.62.