Women’s Bodies

Abstract

Abstract The book of Ezekiel’s construction of an exclusive in-group identity relies on the participation of women, especially when it comes to marriage and reproduction. Therefore, the text has to account for feminine bodily practices, even though its idealized Judean identity is based on a masculine default. These feminine bodily practices come into focus in Ezekiel 16 and 23, which address behaviours related to marriage and reproduction at various stages of a metaphorical woman’s life, including birth, puberty, marriage (and infidelity), motherhood, and menopause. Via these descriptions, the book of Ezekiel communicates expectations concerning the behaviour of women in its constructed in-group, evoking the emotion of disgust regarding those who behave differently. Meanwhile, Ezekiel 13 condemns women who exercise what the book considers improper religious authority, using gendered language to undermine their bodily purity in contrast to that of those properly responsible for religious activities: the masculine priesthood.