Scribal Innovation, Education, and the Female Body in Ezekiel and Proverbs

Literary depictions of the sexually strange, dangerous, and adulter-ous woman in Prov 1–9 and the prophet books are innovative, creative, and disturbing. There are no easy parallels to such imagery in biblical or Near Eastern texts. Focusing specifically on Prov 1–9 and the book of Ezekiel, this article explores comparisons between the motif of the adulterous woman in these books as potentially reflective of a scribal movement of ideas between Proverbs and the prophets. I propose that the aim of this patriarchal view of female sexuality is to educate young scribes, and other men indirectly, by transforming the male gaze on the female body into a pedagogical tool. Analyzing the metaphor and its potential contexts, the author’s goal is to invite readers into a deeper engagement with the texts and critique such metaphors in contemporary settings.

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/jfemistudreli.35.1.04

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