Date of Award
6-1-2009
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Religious Studies
First Advisor
Gregory Robbins, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Alison Schofield, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Sarah Pessin
Keywords
Eve, Feminism, Genesis, Jewish, Lilith
Abstract
Throughout the religious history of American feminism, Jewish feminist biblical interpretation shifted attention away from Eve as a viable example of women's identities. Instead, Lilith, the independent, "demon" and "first wife" of Adam is praised as a symbol of female sexuality for "Transformationist" Jewish feminists. Re-claiming Lilith as the "first Eve," "Transformationist" Jewish feminists turn scripture on its head. Eve's creation and her actions in Genesis are interpreted as a product of patriarchy and male dominance, while Lilith in the midrashic narrative, the Alphabet of Ben Sira, is used by Jewish feminists to reclaim their identities on religious and spiritual levels.
This thesis explores the history of "Transformationist" Jewish feminism to understand the methods by which scripture is interpreted, and ultimately arrive at new working interpretations of Genesis 1-3 andThe Alphabet of Ben Sira. This thesis' significance lies in an exploration of Jewish feminism's ability to cross religious and gender boundaries.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Recommended Citation
Carvalho, Diana, "Woman Has Two Faces: Re-Examining Eve and Lilith in Jewish Feminist Thought" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 115.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/115
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
Rights holder
Diana Carvalho
File size
83 p.
Copyright date
2009
File format
application/pdf
Language
en
Discipline
Biblical studies, Women's studies, Judaic studies