In the Wake of the Goddesses: Women, Culture and the Biblical Transformation of Pagan Myth (Paperback)

by Tikva Frymer-Kensky (Author) "The pantheon of a complex civilization like Sumer was not simple..." (more)
Key Phrases: sacred marriage texts, marital metaphor, sacred marriage ritual, Old Babylonian, Near Eastern, Gilgamesh Epic (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
This book, by a professor of Near Eastern religion, begins with the world of goddesses of Mesopotamia. Frymer-Kensky then traces their marginalization and explains how biblical monotheism developed there. Her careful scholarship arrives at some surprising conclusions, especially that gender/role divisions in polytheism kept women in subordinate positions. She also reports that although monotheism removed the theoretical male-female dualism and asserted the essential sameness of humanity, women were nevertheless considered socially unequal. Hellenistic misogyny, she further asserts, contributed to the lowering of women in Jewish and Christian tradition because the Bible does not deal adequately with gender and sexual expression. Highly recommended for academic, seminary, and large public libraries.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"Offers a more complicated and more interesting and more accurate view of the role of female divinities in human life."

The New Republic



"A deeply thought-through radical critique of sexism underlies this analysis, matched by a profound respect for the Bible and the tradition honoring it."

Penny Gill, Ph.D.

Emily Dickinson Professor of Humanities

Mount Holyoke College

"Presents many marvelous insights into biblical theology, sexuality, and anthropology that will surely claim the attention of scholars and students of biblical religion and culture for years to come."

Walter Harrelson, Ph.D.

Professor of Religion emeritus

Vanderbilt University -- Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (February 10, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449907465
• ISBN-13: 978-0449907467
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #409,614 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, Accessible Scholarship in Goddess Studies, July 3, 1998

By A Customer

I found this book invaluable while researching sacred prostitution and Goddess religions in the ancient Near East for my Masters degree. Frymer-Kensky's articulate discussion of the texts from which we gain our (limited) knowledge of ancient religions exposes the frequently romantic or naive interpretations which have become accepted as history in too many Pagan or Goddess spirituality circles. Her work is scholarly but is definitely accessible to a reader who is interested in this topic. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Goddess religion, Biblical studies, or women's studies.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-read for students of Ancient Near East, April 10, 2001

By A Customer

This is an outstanding work for anyone interested in the goddess mythology of the Ancient Near East and how this was transformed, reinterpreted, and attempted to be eradicated by the Biblical authors. I have used this text as an undergrad, a doctoral student, and in teaching. Invaluable scholarship with excellent footnotes.

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, April 30, 2009

By	Gail J. Zitz (Round Rock, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Explains the development of the patriarchal system of the Bible and the decline of the goddess.