Jael is non-binary: Jael is not a woman
In this article I suggest that the non-binary identity of Jael (Judg 4–5) has been erased or overlooked due to dominant discourses of heteronormativity and binary gender. This biblical narrative depicts Jael performing roles and behaviours which have been identified as masculine (violent, warrior, k...
| Subtitles: | The Bible: Transgender and Genderqueer Perspectives |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sheffield Institute for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies
2020
|
| In: |
Journal for interdisciplinary biblical studies (JIBS)
Year: 2020, Volume: 1, Issue: 2, Pages: 97-120 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Jael, Biblical person
/ Bible reading
/ Queer theory
/ Study
/ Gender mainstreaming
/ Identity
/ Bible. Judge 4-5
|
| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | In this article I suggest that the non-binary identity of Jael (Judg 4–5) has been erased or overlooked due to dominant discourses of heteronormativity and binary gender. This biblical narrative depicts Jael performing roles and behaviours which have been identified as masculine (violent, warrior, killer) and feminine (mother, seductress, nurturing). Moreover, Jael’s name appears in the Hebrew masculine form, alongside Jael’s feminine label of “woman/wife.” Despite such evidence of gender ambiguity, interpretations of Judg 4–5 tend to identify Jael unproblematically as a woman, thereby ignoring this character’s non-binary potential. This article contributes an original reading of Jael by interpreting the text from a non-binary perspective, employing queer methodologies. Inviting the reader to look beyond hetero-binarized expectations, my investigation reveals Jael as a gender ambiguous character. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2633-0695 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for interdisciplinary biblical studies (JIBS)
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.17613/y6zg-7s57 |