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A word of explanation
My apologies to you the readers of WomenfromtheBook Blog who have found no new posts for several days. Due to some serious health issues in our family, I haven’t been able to devote any time to this...
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The Widow of Zarephath
Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and...
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Barter
To barter is to do business by exchanging one thing for another. Words related to barter are trade, switch, swap, bargain and haggle. Ancient Israel, like most countries then, had a monetary system of...
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Silhouettes from the Book of Exodus
Pharaoh, the king of ancient Egypt, is often depicted wearing the nemes headdress and an ornate kilt. Based on New Kingdom tomb paintings. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) This is the time of year when one...
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The Midwives
Pharaoh’s growing problem Pharaoh was anxious. The increasing size of the Israelite presence in Egypt’s Delta region was worrisome, and in spite of his imposition of harsh servitude, they just...
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Who Was Pharaoh’s Daughter?
“Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it,...
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A Woman Named Zipporah
We first meet Zipporah at a well in Midian where she and her sisters watered their father’s flocks. On that day, Moses stepped in to defend the women from brutish shepherds who had driven them away...
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Two Mothers, One Son
In a previous post, we considered the identity of Pharaoh’s daughter and concluded there does not seem to be enough evidence to settle on any one name with confidence. However there is information...
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The Many Facets of Miriam
Caregiver Miriam was born in Egypt. Her parents, Amram and Jochebed, were Hebrew slaves in Pharaoh’s work force. Miriam was the oldest of their children, and she helped care for her younger siblings....
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Bread
The first Biblical reference to a woman doing specific work (other than childbirth) refers to a task done four thousand years ago. Abraham entertained unexpected guests, and Sarah made cakes for them....
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Sorting Out the Marys
Have you ever noticed how often the name “Mary” appears in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospels? My electronic Bible program finds 54 matches when I do a search for the term Mary. Contained...
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Barley: the Grain of the Poor
Barley was the grain most commonly used to make into flour for bread in Iron Age Israel. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Barley was a primary food grain in ancient Israel. The Israelites planted barley in...
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Dear Dr. Luke
I suppose everyone has a favorite section or book of the Bible. I have several, among them the writings of Luke. I decided to write him a letter to thank him for enriching my studies, especially about...
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By Way of Special Delivery
Note to readers: When Paul wrote, in Romans 16:1, “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the LORD in a manner worthy of the saints...
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Achsah: The Daughter Who Asked for More
Caleb watched as distant figures, shimmering like a mirage from the arid Negeb, gradually assumed familiar shapes, and he waited. It was his lovely daughter, Achsah, with her new husband. She was no...
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Achsah: The Daughter Who Asked for More, Part 2
The actions of ten spies sealed the fate of the tribes of Israel in ways they never expected. Their evil report fueled rebellion within the ranks, and no one—not Moses or Aaron, not Joshua or...
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Achsah: The Daughter Who Asked for More, Part 3
Caleb approached his friend, Joshua, with something on his mind. They had been through many things since that disastrous spying expedition. He had been forty years old then, in his prime, ready to...
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Rebekah: A Marriage in Ancient Israel
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand...
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Land of Milk and Honey
Manna was the perfect food for wilderness travel. It didn’t need cultivation, refrigeration or preservation. It was free. It could be eaten as porridge or bread. Manna was healthful. Every morning it...
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Given to Hospitality…or Not
Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house.” And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on...
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