Hannah's Agency in Catalyzing Change in an Exclusive Hierarchy
The narrative in 1 Sam 1-2 is unique in its depiction of an identified woman (Hannah) engaging in cult-related activities within a sanctuary. Scholars have commented on Hannah's religious words and deeds, including her uttering a prayer, making a Nazirite vow for her son, deriving a blessing fr...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Scholar's Press
2021
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| In: |
Journal of Biblical literature
Year: 2021, Volume: 140, Issue: 2, Pages: 271-289 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Samuel 1. 1-2
/ Anna Prophetess
/ Hierarchy
/ Feminist exegesis
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The narrative in 1 Sam 1-2 is unique in its depiction of an identified woman (Hannah) engaging in cult-related activities within a sanctuary. Scholars have commented on Hannah's religious words and deeds, including her uttering a prayer, making a Nazirite vow for her son, deriving a blessing from the priest Eli, and dedicating her son, as well as participating in a sacrificial ritual. This study investigates Hannah's agency and its implications within a hierarchical socioreligious domain controlled by a hereditary priesthood (and its male surrogates) that bolsters its power and status by exclusion. Adapting some theoretical insights from Saul Olyan's Rites and Rank, I explore how Hannah's words and actions challenge the boundaries that marginalize women and preclude their cultic participation. As a consequence of her agency, not only does her personal situation improve, but Hannah redefines restrictive boundaries, empowering herself to be an active participant and enabling her son Samuel, a nonpriestly outsider, to be inserted into a corrupt cultic establishment, catalyzing its change. |
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| ISSN: | 1934-3876 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of Biblical literature
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/jbl.2021.0013 |