Three Women of Hope

Book excerpt: The land of Israel is intimately linked to the adventures of the prophets, men like Elijah, Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the list goes on and on. How about prophets who were women? Does anyone remember that two gates of the Jerusalem Temple bore the name of Huldah, one of these women? Probably not, which is not all that astonishing given that history was written by men… Some women have, however, found places in history: Sarah and Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah, to name a few. Other women also deserve to emerge from silence: women like Miriam, Hannah, and Huldah. It is nonetheless true that these women have to be identified with reference to a man: the first is Moses' sister, the second is Samuel's mother, the third a colleague of King Josiah, Israel's reformer. This little book paints their portraits, with much sensitivity and tenderness, but never restraining disgust when the role of the women is found to have been erased unjustly. The abundant use made here of Jewish traditions of Bible reading will help readers discover the riches of a tradition uniquely suited to broadening their experience. Nor will they be left unaffected or indifferent by the deep spirituality revealed here. Book jacket.