Adultery. Harlotry. Indepedence. Power. Few today would say that all these are equal. But to the male-dominated, male-documented world of ancient Israel and early Christianity, a woman who asserted herself was the equivalent of a prostitute. In a world where religious law severely limited women’s opportunities, those who did use prostitution and adultery to find a form of freedom not readily available to women where castigated for their actions. In this book, Gail Streete examines the treatment these women received and illustrates how biblical texts often apply the term “adultery” to any independent female behavior–sexual or not.
Gail P. C. Streete is W. J. Millard Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Her books include The Strange Woman: Power and Sex in the Bible and Her Image of Salvation: Female Saviors and Formative Christianity, both available from WJK.
