Antje Labahn - Ehud Ben Zvi, «Observations on Women in the Genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1–9», Vol. 84 (2003) 457-478

These observations address the construction of women and their roles in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1–9. References to women in these chapters construed them as fulfilling a variety of roles in society, and characterized and identified them in various ways. To be sure, the genealogies reflected and reinforced the main construction of family and family roles in a traditional ancient near eastern society. But, numerous references in these genealogies indicated to the early (and predominantly male) readers of the book that ideologically construed gender expectations may and have been transgressed in the past and with good results. By implication, these references suggested to the readers that gender (and ethnic) boundaries can and even should be transgressed on occasion, with divine blessing, and resulting in divine blessing.

structure of a family, as opposed to, for instance, wife/mother of sons. The construction of these sisters is still somewhat ambiguous, because on the one hand they are still bound to a social structure that was considered as valid and authoritative, but on the other hand, the text seems to suggest to their intended (male) readership that they, at times, stepped beyond the boundaries of their expected roles, and blessing followed. As is typical of Chronicles, theological or ideological claims advanced in some, or even many accounts are informed and balanced by contrasting claims advanced elsewhere in the book⁵⁵.

II. Women in Roles Commonly Assigned
to Mature Males in the Society

        1 Chronicles 1–9 presents some women in roles that were commonly assigned to mature males in the society. When Chronicles tells its (intended and primary) readers of women who fulfilled the role of maintaining the (male) lineage, it asks them to imagine them as taking the role regularly assigned to the (male) head of a family. When Chronicles tells these readers of women who built cities, again it asks them to image these women as taking upon themselves roles unequivocally associated with males. Significantly, none of these cases of "transgression" are condemned; quite the opposite, they are associated with blessing. On the one hand, Chronicles certainly reflects and reinforces traditional gender roles in society, but on the other at times it subverts their claim to categorical, non-contingent validity. As mentioned above, it is possible that these "subversions" reflected the actual situation of at least some women in Persian period Yehud⁵⁶.

1. Women as Heads of the Family

        To begin with, the role of "head" of the family most likely implied activity in the so-called "public" sphere represented by men acting publicly in society. In 1 Chr 2,16-17 Zeruiah and Abigail are presented as mothers maintaining lineage and fulfilling functions of heads of a family. In sociological terms, the role of maintaining lineage implies