376 GESILA NNEKA UZUKWU Barbarian 9. According to Meeks, the social reality behind the three blessings and expressions of gratitude found in both Greek and rabbinic writings is that of opposition and negative attitude toward one of the members of those paired realities. However, as Meeks argues, in antiquity this social reality had begun to decline in the Hellenistic, world while it continued to exist within Judaism 10. Examining some Jewish writings from antiquity, especially the works of Philo, Josephus and Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Meeks opines that the Judaism in the Hellenistic era had a very negative view of women. In the Talmud, he argues, the view of women was not completely negative, there was the presence of few women in the rabbinic academies, but their involvement is not comparable to the involvement of women in the Stoic community 11. Just as in our study of the problem of the alleged relationship between Gal 3,28 and the three expressions of gratitude found in Greek writings, we noted that the assumption of a possible influ- e n c e of the latter on the former is highly questionable 12 , so also in our study of the alleged relationship between three bless- ings of gratitude found in rabbinic writings and Gal 3,28, we are faced with similar problems. First, there are striking differences MEEKS, “The Image of the Androgyne”, 167-168, n. 8. See also 9 D. KAUFMANN, “Das Alter der drei Benedictionen von Israel, vom Freien, und vom Mann”, MGWJ 37 (1893) 14-18; KAHN, “Gentiles, Slaves and Women”, 18-19. Here, we will be bringing in the result of our study of Gal 3,28 and the alleged relationship with the three expressions of gratitude found in Greek writings into our current discussion. To get a full grasp of the debate, however, see our article on Gal 3,28 and its alleged relationship to the three expressions of gratitude found in Greek writings. MEEKS, “The Image of the Androgyne”, 167-168, 174-179. 10 The reference to women in the three blessings of gratitude found in 11 rabbinic writings has given scholars an edge to reduce the three blessings of gratitude found in Jewish writings to debate on gender. The discussion has become more an issue on Jewish women in antiquity and less on the view of women, slaves and ignorant persons as referred to in the texts. We have already seen the evidence in the work of Meeks. There can be some justifications for this narrow approach to the three blessings of gratitude found in rabbinic writings. Nevertheless, our major objection is that when scholars narrowly focus on this text, they tend to read too much into the text, and overlook several other issues that need to be investigated. See our article on Gal 3,28 and its alleged relationship to the three 12 expressions of gratitude found in Greek writings.