48 BElWEENTEXTANDART1FACI'
forthesafetyoftheyoungchildren-bykeepingevilsspiritsaway-an
interpretationsupportedbythefacithatlightisseenasprotectiveinsev-
eralotherbiblicalpassages,suchasJob29:3andPray6:20-21.ThePray 6
passagealsoalludes 10 protectiveamuletsworndayandnightaroundthe
necksofchildren.
Inthisrespect,werecallthatamuletsaswellaslampsareohenfound
inthehouseholdcultk:assemblages,andtheliseofbothlamps(orcan-
dles)andamulets,alongwithpiecesofmctalandmetaljewelry(whicharc
alsopartofhouseholdctilliegroups)iswidelyattestedintraditionalsoci-
etiesoftheMiddleEast.Theseartifactsappe'lrinthehouseholdsofJews,
Christians,andMuslims;theygiveorreflectlight,thuskeepingatbaythe
demonsornight spiritsbelievedto belurkingabout, readyto pounce
uponvulnerableinfantsandyoungchildrenortointerferewiththemilk
supplyofmothers.Suchinformationshouldm.akeusawareofthefacithat
metaljewelry,oftencalled"itemsofpersonaladornment"inourarchaeo-
logical publications,may beimport<lnt itemsin thereligiouscultureof
households.Thelamps,inadditiontowardingoffevildemons,mayalso
haveplayeda roleintheproceduresforcallinguponthedeadtoservethe
living,a practice particularlyassociatedwithwomen(asinthebiblical
MediumofEndor)andoftenusedintf'".lditionalsocieties 10 enlisttheaidof
ancestorsinordcrtosecurcfertility,protectwomenduringpregnancyand
childbirth,andsafeguardthehealthofncwborns.3R
Clearly,theallusionstowomen'shouseholdreligiouscultureinbiblical
texts can be understood and expanded byreference to archaeological
remainsinrelationtoelhnogmphicsources,butitisnotenoughsimplyto
maketheseconncctions.Theymust beinterpretedwithrespect totheir
meaningforwomen'slivesaswellasfortheirmeaninginthereligiouslives
ofallIsraelites.I suggestthreewaysinwhichwomen'srolesinhousehold
religiousritualsweredynamicandessentialaspectsofIsraelitelife.
Riluale_,per/ise.Theritualsassociatedwiththereproductiveprocess,
likethoseat majorcommunityshrines,representa substantial bodyof
knowledge. Studentsshould be reminded that rituals arestereotyped
behaviorsthatmustbelearnedfromexperts.Thusritualactivitiesinvolving
materialsandartifactsdependupontheknowledgeofspecialistswhopre-
parethematerialsandusetheminprescribedways;otherwise,theywould
notbeefficacious.Women weretheritual expertsfor theoverlapping
physiologicalandmaterialaspectsofreproduction;theywereresponsible
forsecuringpregnancyandforsafeguardingmotherandchild.Whowere
38 SusanSl3rr&:red,WomenAsRill/alF!-'l:/>t'T1s:71)(!ReIiRiOllsLiIX!SofFJderiyjewisbWometl
il/je1llsalem(Oxford:OxfordUniven;ilyPress,1992).t8-29;PhyllisUird,"l1u~Pbl.:cofWomen
inJSf'"JclileCuhus,in1\1iller,H:lll:>on.andMcHride,A1If;;WlllIsmclilcReligion,397-419.