One way in which the author structures the rhetorical contrast between the cities is to invoke an ethical "two-women" topos that was well known in the ancient world both from the Jewish wisdom tradition (Proverbs 1-9) and from the story of Heracles's choice (Xenephon's Memoribilia). The topos of the "two women" provided a franework for exhortation between two alternatives -- the "evil woman" who must be resisted, and the "good woman" whom the audience should follow.
Chapter 2 surveys the "two-women" topos and its use by a variety of ancient authors. Chapter 3 analyzes the prostitute of Rev. 17:1-4 as a stereotypical "evil woman" and the portrayal of Babylon as "evil woman" and evil empire. Chapter 4 focuses on the use of the "city lament" genre in various texts and Revelation 18's taunting of Babylon via laments and dirges. A final chapter studies New Jersualem as the "good woman" and as an alternative political economy to Rome.
Barbara R. Rossing is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago.
