The Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today (European Society of Cardiology)

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Rahab was a prostitute in the city of Jericho. When the Hebrews began to conquer Canaan, Rahab harbored their spies in her house in exchange for her family's safety. Rahab recognized the True God. After the walls of Jericho fell, the Israelite army kept their promise, protecting Rahab's house.

Just then his disciples returned ( Z) and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” When Joshua and his men came to Jericho, Rahab hid them from the authorities and helped them escape. The verses that follow make it clear that husbands are also called to submit to their wives, and that the goal of marriage is mutual submission and love.Rachel is one of the most well-known women of the Bible. She is known for her beauty, her kindness, and her loyalty. Frymer-Kensky says there is evidence of "gender blindness" in the Hebrew Bible. [2] :166–167 Unlike other ancient literature, the Hebrew Bible does not explain or justify cultural subordination by portraying women as deserving of less because of their "naturally evil" natures. The Biblical depiction of early Bronze Age culture up through the Axial Age, depicts the "essence" of women, (that is the Bible's metaphysical view of being and nature), of both male and female as "created in the image of God" with neither one inherently inferior in nature. [11] :41,42 Discussions of the nature of women are conspicuously absent from the Hebrew Bible. [35] Biblical narratives do not show women as having different goals, desires, or strategies or as using methods that vary from those used by men not in authority. [35] :xv Judaic studies scholar David R. Blumenthal explains these strategies made use of "informal power" which was different from that of men with authority. [11] :41,42 There are no personality traits described as being unique to women in the Hebrew Bible. [35] :166–167 Most theologians agree the Hebrew Bible does not depict the slave, the poor, or women, as different metaphysically in the manner other societies of the same eras did. [35] :166–167 [11] :41,42 [10] :15–20 [8] :18 Leah was one of the wives of Jacob, and the mother of six of his children. She was the elder sister of Rachel, Jacob’s other wife. While this passage has been used to control and oppress women throughout history, it is important to read it in context.

For some, it is a way to deepen their faith and connect with God. For others, it is a way to learn more about the history and culture of Christianity. Hannah is an important woman in the Bible because she shows us that God is always faithful, even through out greatest trials and sorrows. Women in The Bible: AbigailMary of Bethany and her sister Martha often hosted Jesus and his apostles at the home of their brother Lazarus. Mary was reflective, contrasted with her action-oriented sister. On one visit, Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening, while Martha struggled to fix the meal. Listening to Jesus is always wise. Pomeroy also states that women played a vital role in classical Greek and Roman religion, sometimes attaining a freedom in religious activities denied to them elsewhere. [13] Wayne Meeks writes that there is no evidence this went beyond the internal practices of the religion itself. The mysteries created no alternative in larger society to the established patterns, but there is some evidence of a disruption of traditional women's roles within some of the mystery cults. [14] :6 Priestesses in charge of official cults such as that of Athena Polias in ancient Athens were paid well, were looked upon as role models, and wielded considerable social and political power. [15] In the important Eleusinian Mysteries in ancient Greece, men, women, children and slaves were admitted and initiated into its secrets on a basis of complete equality. [16] In Rome, priestesses of state cults, such as the Vestal Virgins, were able to achieve positions of status and power. They were able to live independently from men, made ceremonial appearances at public events and could accrue considerable wealth. [17] Both ancient Greece and Rome celebrated important women-only religious festivals during which women were able to socialize and build bonds with each other. [18] [19] Although the "ideal woman" in the writings and sayings of male philosophers and leaders was one who would stay out of the public view and attend to the running of her household and the upbringing of her children, in practice some women in both ancient Greece and Rome were able to attain considerable influence outside the purely domestic sphere. [20]