Mourning Rituals of Women in Ancient Israel and their Meaning
Mourning Rituals of Women in Ancient Israel and their Meaning

Summary/Abstract: It is commonly held among specialists on ancient Near East that women in ancient Israel did not have much space in official public sphere. However, biblical texts witness to their special role as mourners. This paper presents some terminological considerations regarding the mourning women as presented in the Hebrew Bible (esp. Jer 9,16-21), the rituals that accompanied mourning, and the meaning of these women for society. Furthermore, the paper considers the role of the mourning women in the cultic life (Ez 8,14). Finally, a particular attention will be paid to Ritzpah, a special case of a mourning woman in the Bible (2 Sam 21,1-14).

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