The author of the article uses the term intertextuality, which plays a significant role in the text analysis, including from the feminist aspect. The meaning of the text is not fixed but is open to revision as new versions appear and the status of ancient one’s shifts. Thus, the base of the text is multidirectional, as it relies on previous writings but adds its own contribution. Moreover, the text responds to formed statements and places new accents around them according to the latest historical stigmas. Based on the theory of intertextuality, specialists can say that The Holy Scriptures is a collection of mutually interpretive or dialogic texts. The analysis of these intertextual connections is critical, both for understanding and comprehensive translating of the Bible. The vocabulary of each version has its own unique influence on the perception of the role of women in biblical plots. For example, in Isaiah 7:14, Matthew chooses the Greek version, which uses the word Parthenos “virgin” rather than Almāh “young woman” as in the Hebrew Bible (Kim, 1999). The result is a more elevated and saint image of the mother of Jesus.
The Feminist Perspective of the Women’s Role in the Bible
I agree with the author’s opinion about the great discrediting and depersonalization of women in the Bible against the backdrop of male characters. However, turning to history, one can understand the prerequisites for this injustice. The Bible is a religious scripture, but it was created from true-to-life social movements and stigmas appearing 2,000 years ago. The article mentions the features of the family institution of the Roman Empire and the emergence roots of derogatory epithets for women. The woman’s rank depended solely on her father, and after marriage, on her husband. Personal desires did not matter; a woman was perceived primarily as a mother, wife, keeper of the hearth, and family property. Any violence against her was perceived primarily as an insult to her husband. A similar substitution of concepts is observed in biblical narratives. For example, the feminization of the city of Rome by using the derogatory metaphor “whore” due to its socio-economic injustice (Kim, 1999). Such metaphors form from a socio-cultural basis and represent the established hierarchy of society. Unfortunately, these things did not surprise me and did not raise additional questions, given the history of attitudes towards women over the centuries. Such injustice can resonate in the heart of everyone who has met with a reverence for gender and social stratum.
The Historical Background
In Revelation 17, Babylon was depicted as a “harlot” whose wine made all the nations drunk. Nineveh, as the capital of a powerful empire, was also called a harlot and a sorceress who enslaved people with her fornication and magic. The harlot is a frequent character in the Bible, appearing from the first to the last book. The first mention of harlots dates back to the time of Patriarch Jacob, whose sons condemned the rape of their sister Dinah (Nicholson & Domoney-Lyttle, 2020). In ancient Israelite society, harlots were protected by law regulations which was interesting to learn during my additional research.
Inconsistency in Religious Subjects
Despite the wide writer’s explanation of things, I still have a question about some controversies in the biblical story. Harlots have a special place in the New Testament. Jesus Christ pointed out to the Pharisees the priority of faith in God over the works of the Law. However, then the Apostle Paul warned the Corinthian Christians against using the services of prostitutes because of their deliberate intrigues. The famous Mary Magdalene was considered the favorite disciple of Jesus, whom he even kissed, frequently emphasizing the innocence of harlots in earthly sins (Nicholson & Domoney-Lyttle, 2020). However, the further discrediting of women and the use of the “whore” metaphor do not fit with the message of the main protagonist.
Work Cited
Kim, Jean K. “‘Uncovering Her Wickedness’: An Inter(Con)Textual Reading of Revelation 17 From a Postcolonial Feminist Perspective.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament, vol. 21, no. 73, 1999, pp. 61–81.
Nicholson, S. & Domoney-Lyttle, Z. “Women and Gender in the Bible and the Biblical World: Editorial Introduction.” Open Theology, vol. 6, no. 1, 2020, pp. 706-710. Web.