386 Paul A. Kruger let them dress them in the fashion of women … Let them break the bows, arrows, (and) weapons in their hands and let them put in their hands distaff and mirror” (37). A similar malediction occurs in the treaty between Ashur-nerari V of Assyria and Mati’ilu from Arpad: “If Mati’ilu sins against this treaty with Ashur-nerari, king of Assyria, may Mati’ilu become a prostitute, his soldiers women, may they receive [a gift] in the square of their cities like any prostitute, may one country push them to the next; may Mati’ilu’s (sex) life be that of a mule, his wives extremely old; may Ishtar, the goddess of men, the lady of women, take away their bow …” (38). Some others similar occurrences are encountered in biblical Hebrew prophetical taunts. Compare, for example, the announcement, once again in the book of Jeremiah: “The powerful men of Babylon have ceased fighting, they remained in their strongholds. Their strength has failed, they became women” (Jer 51,30; see also Isa 19,16, Jer 50,37, Nah 3,13) (39). The utterance on gender role reversal in Jer 30, 5-6 clearly belongs in the same category: it is likewise to be seen as a curse signifying a mundus inversus order of existence(40). 3. Jer 31,22b, mundus inversus and utopianism The utterance on gender role reversal in Jer 31,22b, however, is clearly of a different nature. It is not a curse, but a promise, as may be seen from passages elsewhere in the writings of the Hebrew Bible prophets. There one comes across the subversive potential of the same mundus inversus principle, but this time, according to Mühlmann (41), from the perspective of those at the “lower levels” of society. The tone of these type of sayings is now different: the (37) See H.C. WASHINGTON, “‘Lest He Die in the Battle and Another Take Her’: Violence and the Construction of Gender in the Laws of Deuteronomy 20-22”, Gender and Law in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East (eds. V.H. MATTHEWS, et al.) (Sheffield 1998) 197; see also V. HAAS, “Rituell-magische Aspekte in der althethitischen Strafvollstreckung”, Offizielle Religion, lokale Kulte und individuelle Religiosität (hrsg. M. HUTTER – S. HUTTER-BRAUNSAR) (AOAT 318; Münster 2004) 218. (38) Translated by S. PARPOLA – K. WATANABE, Neo-Assyrian Treaties and Loyalty Oaths (Helsinki 1988) 12; see also P. GILBERT, “The Function of Imprecation in Israel’s Eighth-Century Prophets”, http://www.directionjournal.org/article/?1419. Cf. also David’s curse of Joab, where it is said that all males in Joab’s ancestry “will hold the spindle” (2 Sam 3,29); see S.C. LAYTON, “A Chain Gang in 2 Samuel III 29? A Rejoinder”, VT 39 (1989) 81- 86; cf. also K. VAN DER TOORN, Van Haar Wieg tot Haar Graf (Baarn 1987) 16 and H.A. HOFFNER, “Symbols for Masculinity and Femininity”, JBL 85 (1966) 326-334, for other items symbolising femininity. (39) See MALUL, Knowledge, Control and Sex, 354 and Washington, “‘Lest He Die in the Battle and Another Take Her’”, 197. (40) See BOZAK, Life ‘Anew’, 104. In the same vein, also compare a similar motif in Christianity where the Gospel of Thomas closes with the admonition that before a woman can share in salvation she has to be transformed into a man: “Simon Peter said to them [the other disciples], ‘Let Mary leave us, because women are not worthy of life.’ Jesus said, ‘Behold, I myself shall lead her so as to make her male, that she may become a living spirit like you males. For every woman who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven” (S.P. RAMET, “Gender Reversals and Gender Cultures: an Introduction”, Gender Reversals and Gender Cultures (ed. S.P. RAMET) (London 1996) 5. (41) Examples supplied by MÜHLMANN, “Das Mythologem von der verkehrten Welt”, 619.