Were 1st Century Women Social Outcasts?

[LinkH]

This is a miracle, a decent article on the topic of religion on the Huffington Post.

I enjoyed the article. It talks about how people wrongly paint a picture of Judaism in the first century. I can think of one clear example of Jesus ministering to a woman who was likely a social outcast, the woman at the well. But I think the article makes a great point about this. I think I've read some of the ideas on this forum from time to time, and that folks here would find it an interesting read.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amyjill-levine/getting-judaism-and-jesus_b_4617731.html

 

[Dave-W]

Good article. One point not brought up but relevant is the fact that women were highly prized in first century Jewish culture. While Hypocrates and the Greeks believed that women had no sexual interest or feelings (that belief continued in western culture until the very early 20th century); Judaism had the minimum frequency of women's sexual satisfaction written right into the Ketubah or marriage contract. In many situations it was daily. That was enforceable in the court system.

As to the woman at the well, she was NOT a Jew but a Samaritan. The Samaritan women were considered chattel. Women had no say-so in either marriage or divorce proceedings. That would have been handled by male family members.

She was married and divorced 5 times. The most common cause of divorce was infertility. That would make her a victim of circumstance.