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

MEYERS:WI-IEI{ETilEC.II{J~';ARE 49

theseritualexperts?Theywouldhavebeenolderwomen-mothers,neigh-
bors,orotherrelatives-selvingasmentors,transminingknowledgeacross
generations.Sometimesoutsideexpertswerebroughtin:midwives,necro-
mancers,and others. Theroleofsuch voluntcerorprofessional(paid)
expertswouldhaveaffordedthemstatusandprestige.
FemalesolidariWIndividualwomenmay haveperformedsomeof
theritualsofreproduction aspartoftheirdailyroutine, butgroupsof
women,suchasthoscattendingthebirthofOded(Ruth4:17),alsoClr-
ried out others.39 Just <IS {he communal bread-producing activities
contributedtofemalesolidarityinandacrosshouseholdsinIsraeliteset-
tlemenls, so too the performanceof religious rituals in the intimate
circumstancesofchildbirthwouldhavecreatedsolidarityamongwomen
andcontributed 10 theinformalwomen'snetworksmentionedabove.
Socioreligiollspower.Thestatusandsolidarityofwomensurrounding
reproductiveritualswerehardlytrivialaspectsoftheirreligiousculture.
Therinlalsofreproductionwercconcernedwithmattersoflifeanddeath.
nOIasabstrJcttheologicalissuesbutratherasimmediateanddirectprob-
lems.Women'sritualpraxiswasfocusedonthewell-beingofthemselves
andtheirfamilies,withtheirspecializedbehaviorsdeemedessentialtothe
creationandsustenanceofnewlife.Suchfem:llecontrolofvitalsocio-
religiousfunctionsmayseemmarginalwhenviewedfromthetopdown
(i.e..fromtheperspectiveofelite,male,formalstructures),andperhaps
thisiswhywomen·sreligiouscultureis largelyinvisibleintheBible. 1 low-
ever,whenseenfromtheboltomup,thatculturerepresentsfemaleaccess
tothesupernaturJ.1onadailybasis;it wassurelyanintegralandessential
partofthelivesofancientIsraelites.Culturalpracticesofsuchenormous
valuetothesurvivalofafamilycanya senseofworthandpower.Indeed.
becauseitwouldhavebeenexperiencedasvitaltothelifeoffamiliesand
communities,thereligiouscultureofIsrJ.elitewomenwouldhaveafforded
themsignificantself-worthandgrouprecognition.
Thearchaeologicalrecoveryofpillarfigurines,amulets,mctaljewelry,
andthelikecanthus takeusonalongjourney,fullofinterpretiveproce-
dures and multidisciplin~ll)'perspectives, thai allows us 10 reconstruct
aspectsofthereligiouslivesofIsraelitewomenthatwouldotherwisehave
bceninvisible.Moreover,acknowledgingthevitalfunctionoftherituals
theyperformed--cvenjfwelackdescriptionsofthemortexts{ogowith
them-allowsus 10 rescuewomenfromthenotionofsecond-classstatus
aswellasobscurity.Statusishardlyauniformandunitaryquality;it varies
according 10 thedynamicsofdifferingarenasof:lctivity.

39.x"CCarolMeyers.-WomenoftheNciJ,:hborhood(Ruth,U7):IIIMeyers.Cr.l\'t:n.;Iod
Kracmcr, tHIII/C'1lillScn1)/urC'.2')·1.