Daughters of Miriam: Women Prophets in Ancient Israel (Paperback)

~ Wilda C. Gafney (Author)
Key Phrases: beney yisrael, female prophecy, scribal guild, Hebrew Bible, Niphal Prophesy Prophesy Ezekiel Ezek, Holy Spirit (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

There are untold numbers of female prophets hiding in the masculine grammar and androcentric focus of the Hebrew scriptures. There are women-prophets in the communities around biblical Israel, existing for hundreds of years and even a thousand years before the Israelite and Judean prophets recorded their messages. The rabbinic and Christian fathers analyzed and found more women in the scriptures who function as prophets than the biblical authors identify. All of these female prophets have an intimate connection with the God of Israel; they express that connection by singing, dancing, drumming, speaking with and for God, waging war, performing miracles, exercising statecraft, and giving birth. Each of them is a daughter of Miriam, the mother of all women-prophets.

Women prophets gave powerful voice to Yahwist faith at the formative moments in ancient Israel s development, and were expected in biblical visions of the future. Now they come to the foreground as Wilda Gafney explores prophetic practices in ancient Israel, its near eastern environment, and early and rabbinic Judaism as well.

About the Author

Wilda C. Gafney is Assistant Professor of Hebrew Scripture and Homiletics at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Fortress Press (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080066258X
• ISBN-13: 978-0800662585
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #723,893 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Feminism and translation, April 13, 2008

By	Truth teller - See all my reviews

The author is certainly readable and follows accepted academic standards for citations, etc. Her thesis is that certain Hebrew plural pronouns and verbs POSSIBLY indicate both females and males in translation. She cites the accepted knowledge about prophetic ministries of both sexes in non-Hebraic cultures of the pre-Israelite ANE. Her introductory commentary on feminist interpetations is quite current and most clear. She promotes a "flexible interpretation" (p.18) of scripture, as well as interpretations about the practicioners of "non-sanctioned inquiry techniques" (p. 24). Much of her thesis rests upon her particular translation abilities and interpetations, and her identification of nuances not evident to Hebraists in the last several centuries. In NIV Ex 38:8 we read "8 They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." The author translates "women" as "warriors" and is certainly not ambiguous in asserting: "In keeping with the martial range of tz-b-' and the desert-sanctuary context, I translate hatzov'ot asher tzaue'v as 'the women-warriors stationed'" (p.154). On the same page, the author claims: "I found it highly likely that their mirrors, mar'ot, were used a signaling devices in combat, making the women a Bronze Age Signal Corps.." If the author's conclusions from the tenuous premises arouse you, then you will undoubtedly like this book. If they don't, then....

2.0 out of 5 stars Miriam, August 20, 2009

By	Ruth "Ruthie" (Ca) - See all my reviews

The author has a lot of knowledge of what she is talking about and she did a lot of reasearch into this book.I found it interesting in parts. The best parts of the book was chapters four and five. I found this to be the best part of the book.I found it interesting how she combined the Jewish tanakh and how she used the christain bible and compared the two. She made comments about the Jewish teaching of the talmud and other Jewish books. It was a good read.