Women in the Damascus Document"Women in the Damascus Document" offers a fresh look at the nature of the community reflected in the Damascus Document, one of the core documents of the Dead Sea Scrolls. By presenting a close and comprehensive study of the references to women and in-depth analyses of biblically based laws in the document, this work attempts to reconstruct the role of women and attitudes toward women within the community. Highlighting the complex nature of the evidence, the author draws attention to a number of rules that reflect a favorable attitude toward women, but also to instances of a patriarchal stance, especially regarding sexuality. Carefully considering all the evidence, the author argues, in contrast to the opinions of many scholars, that women were full members in the community. "Paperback edition is available from the Society of Biblical Literature (www.sbl-site.org)" |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
THE DAMASCUS DOCUMENT | 19 |
THE EARLY LAW CODE | 45 |
THE CATALOGUE OF TRANSGRESSORS | 107 |
THE ADMONITION | 113 |
COMMUNAL LAWS | 131 |
CONCLUSION | 207 |
213 | |
239 | |
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Common terms and phrases
1QSa according addition Admonition appears argues assume authority Baumgarten biblical Brill camp CD VII CD XIII ceremony compared concerning congregation considered context covenant Damascus Document Davies Dead Sea Scrolls described Deut discussion divorce DJD XVIII early law enter Essenes evidence Examiner example excluded expression Fathers female fornication fragment gives Halakhah Hebrew Hempel History holy husband impurity includes interpretation Israel Jerusalem Jewish law code laws legislation Literature live male marital marriage married meaning meetings mentioned Mothers oath original parallel passage period person physical points possible Press priests prohibition provides purification purity Qumran rabbinic reads reason reconstruction reference reflects relations rules Sabbath Schiffman scholars sect sectarian sexual intercourse similar slave society specific status Studies suggests Temple term Testament tradition transgressions University virgin wife woman women