Introduction and Background for Women in OT Times “The Bible speaks about women in many different ways, sometimes explicitly, but more usually indirectly.” Men are usually the main characters in the Bible though sometimes women are mentioned it is usually indirectly. Women were not viewed as important as a man in society during Old Testament times. This wasn’t exactly the case with Eve. “Genesis informs its readers that woman is a special creation of God (Gen. 1:16-27; 2:18-24).” Eve was also above the animals just like Adam. Genesis 2:21-24 “emphasizes most profoundly, the inseparable unity and fellowship of a woman’s life with that of man’s. Woman was created to be man’s helper (Gen. 2:18) as well as his companion.” Still Adam is given priority
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Then when Moses comes along sets up the Law all the priest were males not females. “Women had no part in the public service of the tribe of Levi during the entire time that sacrifices were offered in the tabernacle, or in the Solomonic temple as well as in the postexilic temple of Zerubbabel.” So women had no part in the priestly acts whatsoever. “In the Old Testament there seem to have been three classes of religious men, priests, prophets, and wise men (Cf. Jer. 18:18).” There were no women priests but there were some women that were prophets, or prophetess. In the Old Testament there are a few women who were called prophetesses. They are Miriam, the sister of Moses. “Miriam, motivated by jealousy, later directed a rebellion against her brother, for which she was punished with leprosy and banished from the camp of Israel for a week.” Another woman is Deborah, who was a mother and a judge in Israel (Judges 5:7). There is a third woman named “Huldah, living in the seventh century, the keeper of the royal wardrobe, is called a prophetess and was consulted by Josiah concerning Yahweh’s will after the ‘book of the law’ was found in the temple (2 Kings 22:14).” In Ezekiel 13:17 one can infer that there are
Then when Moses comes along sets up the Law all the priest were males not females. “Women had no part in the public service of the tribe of Levi during the entire time that sacrifices were offered in the tabernacle, or in the Solomonic temple as well as in the postexilic temple of Zerubbabel.” So women had no part in the priestly acts whatsoever. “In the Old Testament there seem to have been three classes of religious men, priests, prophets, and wise men (Cf. Jer. 18:18).” There were no women priests but there were some women that were prophets, or prophetess. In the Old Testament there are a few women who were called prophetesses. They are Miriam, the sister of Moses. “Miriam, motivated by jealousy, later directed a rebellion against her brother, for which she was punished with leprosy and banished from the camp of Israel for a week.” Another woman is Deborah, who was a mother and a judge in Israel (Judges 5:7). There is a third woman named “Huldah, living in the seventh century, the keeper of the royal wardrobe, is called a prophetess and was consulted by Josiah concerning Yahweh’s will after the ‘book of the law’ was found in the temple (2 Kings 22:14).” In Ezekiel 13:17 one can infer that there are