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Setting out from the observation made in the social sciences that maternal grief can at times be a motor of societal change, Ekaterina E. Kozlova demonstrates that a similar mechanism operates also in the biblical world. Kozlova argues that maternal grief is treated as a model or archetype of grief in biblical and Ancient Near Eastern literature. The work considers three narratives and one poem that illustrate the transformative power of maternal grief in the biblical presentation: Gen 21, Hagar and Ishmael in the desert; 2 Sam 21: 1-14, Rizpah versus King David; 2 Sam 14, the speech of the Tekoite woman; Jer 31: 15-22, Rachel weeping for her children. Although only one of the texts literally refers to a bereaved mother (2 Sam 21 on Rizpah), all four passages draw on the motif of maternal grief, and all four stage some form of societal transformation.
List of contents
- 1: Maternal Grief as an Archetype in the Psychology of Grief and Ancient Near East
- 2: Hagar
- 3: Rizpah
- 4: The Woman of Tekoa
- 5: Rachel
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
About the author
Ekaterina E. Kozlova is an independent scholar.
Summary
Setting out from the observation made in the social sciences that maternal grief can at times be a motor of societal change, Ekaterina E. Kozlova demonstrates that a similar mechanism operates also in the biblical world. Kozlova argues that maternal grief is treated as a model or archetype of grief in biblical and Ancient Near Eastern literature. The work considers three narratives and one poem that illustrate the transformative power of maternal grief in the biblical presentation: Gen 21, Hagar and Ishmael in the desert; 2 Sam 21: 1-14, Rizpah versus King David; 2 Sam 14, the speech of the Tekoite woman; Jer 31: 15-22, Rachel weeping for her children. Although only one of the texts literally refers to a bereaved mother (2 Sam 21 on Rizpah), all four passages draw on the motif of maternal grief, and all four stage some form of societal transformation.
Additional text
Through her analysis, Kozlova helpfully illuminates the ritual significance of maternal grief, in both ancient Near Eastern and biblical texts. Her attention to these mortuary practices, in all its forms in the ancient world, opens up new possibilities for biblical scholars and theologians in feminist and gender studies. Using motherhood as a form of agency, Kozlova challenges the notion that maternity is always subject to gender norms... Maternal Grief in the Hebrew Bibleproves to be a valuable addition to the fields of biblical studies and gender studies. This text sheds new light on the importance of maternal grief as a tool of social change in the Hebrew Bible.
Report
Kozlova's rich and readable study makes a convincing argument for viewing the Bible's grieving mothers as uniquely powerful rhetorical figures with a shared narrative function ... [it] provides a strong foundation for her and others to build upon. Amy Kalmanofsky, Catholic Biblical Quarterly
