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

50 BETWEENnxrANDAM1WACT

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Ibeganthisessaybyprovidingcommentsaboutwomenintheperiod
oftheHebrewBiblemadebysomeofmyundergraduatestudents,both
maleandfemale,beforetheyhadtheopponunity(0delveinlothissulr
ject.ItisthereforefittingIhalIconclude\Vimseveralstatementsthai!.hey
madeattheendoftheircoursework,whichaffordedthemtoseehow
manyoftheirnotionsweremisperceptions.

• TherearesomanynotionsthatI clung 10 thatnowseemso
  obviouslyincorrectandridiculous(0me. Itkindofmakesme
  wonderaboutallthoseotherthingsthatI amsosureabout


• NowI realizethatthecontextoftheBibleextendsfarbeyond
  thebiblicaltextsthemselves..


• WhileI stillbelievethatmenhavemoreofthedominantroles
  andslories, InowwouldbeextremelyhesiL'lntto labelthe
  majorityofwomenassubservient.


• Inowrealizehowmanyideasofwomen'sworkasinferiorto
  men'sworkoutsidethehomewouldnothavefit inthebiblical
  period.


• Theimportanceofwomenashouseholdmanagershadnever
  oo.:urn:u 10 lOt::.


• Mystereotypelofsecondaryrolesandhelplesswomenlhaslost
  itsvalidity.


• Bycriticallyanalyzingtextsandartifacts,Icannowseehow
  manydifferentactivitieswomendid,activitiesthatmadethem
  strongandpowerful.

Clearly,despitethepaucityofbiblicaltextsthatmentionwomen,itis
possibletorectifytheimbalanceofinformationintheBibleaboutwomen
and menandtheconcomitantdistortionsbyturningtoarchaeologyand
ethnography.Suchdatacancompensateforthestronglikelihoodthatmost
ofthebiblicaltextsarctheproductofelitemalesandthusdonotprovide
a balancedviewofgenderrolesandrelationshipsinthebiblicalworld.
Morocver.itispossibletoovercometheinabilityofstudentstoimaginethe
varietyofrolesthattheyplayed,theircentralplaceinthehouseholdecon-
omy,theirvitalplaceinhouseholdreligiousculture,andtheconsequent
powerthattheyexertedin thedecisionsofdaily lifethataffectedtheir
familiesandtheircommunities.
Preciselybecauseoftherelativeabsenceofordinarypeasantwomen
fromthebiblicalnarrative.recoveringtheirlivesinanimroduaoryBible
classisnma straightforwardmatter.Althougharchaeologycanplayasig-
nificant role, using :lrtifaas is also not a straightforward enterprise.