‘Give us a portion among our father's brothers’: The Daughters of Zelophehad, Land, and the Quest for Human Dignity

This article seeks to explore the intriguing text of Numbers 27, in which the five daughters of Zelophehad challenge the judicial powers regarding the question of female inheritance (cf. also Num. 36). The daughters emerge as a symbol of the powerless standing up for what is right—the narrative serv...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Claassens, L. Juliana M. 1972- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2013
In: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Year: 2013, Volume: 37, Issue: 3, Pages: 319-337
Further subjects:B Justice
B Human Dignity
B feminist interpretation
B Numbers 27
B postcolonial interpretation
B Daughters of Zelophehad
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
Description
Summary:This article seeks to explore the intriguing text of Numbers 27, in which the five daughters of Zelophehad challenge the judicial powers regarding the question of female inheritance (cf. also Num. 36). The daughters emerge as a symbol of the powerless standing up for what is right—the narrative serving as an example of where laws can be challenged and changed by the (divine) authorities in recognition of the needs of the disenfranchised. This study focuses on the complex hermeneutical issues involved in reading this narrative in the context of contesting points of view, including issues of gender, power and the right to land ownership. The proposal is made that the notion of human dignity may offer some important perspectives on this narrative, as well as the way it is used in contemporary context(s).
ISSN:1476-6728
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0309089213475399