ABSTRACT
In Chapter 1 we identified a category of texts that appear to challenge patriarchy and infer its reform, if not its end. These texts can be read almost as parodies of traditional polarisation of masculine and feminine prescribed behaviour. Genesis, in particular, has been a rich resource for feminist biblical scholars who have worked to uncover positive accounts of active female characters. In this text we encounter the matriarchs of the biblical tradition – Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel – and in Genesis 28 we have the ultimate exposé of patriarchal culture executed by the deeply-wronged Tamar. Genesis will be the focus of this chapter where we will look in particular at the theme of challenging the gender boundaries we identified in the previous chapter. In Chapter 4 we will discuss how this theme intensifies in Judges and Ruth, and in Chapter 5 we will extend this critique to biblical texts that reflect contexts within the Hellenistic and Roman empires.
