Abstract
This study will undertake a comparative analysis of the emotional responses of women and men in the Hebrew Bible in order to ascertain whether particular emotions were typically associated with, or restricted to, a certain gender in ancient Israelite culture. In addition to contributing to the understanding of gender in ancient Israelite society, this study will aid in the task of Bible translation by exposing some differences between the modern western conceptualisation of emotion and the ancient Israelite conceptualisation. The paper will also outline some of the methodological complexities in attempting to study the history of emotions from a gendered perspective. Is a comparative study of the different emotional responses of men and women in the Bible rendered fruitless by the disproportionate amount of male responses vis-à-vis female responses? How does the patriarchal focus and composition of the biblical texts complicate the study of the intersection of gender and emotion? It will argue that while the likelihood of accessing the genuine emotional experiences of Israelite women may be slim, the historical text can still be useful in bringing to light how these women were expected to behave and how they were expected to feel.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
| Event | First International Conference on Contemporary and Historical Approaches to Emotions - University of Wollongong Sydney CBD Campus, Sydney, Australia Duration: 5 Dec 2016 → 7 Dec 2016 |
Conference
| Conference | First International Conference on Contemporary and Historical Approaches to Emotions |
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| Country/Territory | Australia |
| City | Sydney |
| Period | 5/12/16 → 7/12/16 |