“Back Then It Was Legal” The Epistemological Imbalance in Readings of Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Rape Legislation

Scholz, Susanne

doi:10.1300/j154v07n03_02

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…2018) who argued that the role of biblical scholars as critic and conscience within the academy, the classroom, and the societies in which we live is surely a moral imperative. We also concur with Susanne Scholz (2005) who insisted:…”

Section: Unanimous Response To Atrocitysupporting

confidence: 62%

A re-reading of Judges 19 in juxtaposition to the Zimbabwean women’s vulnerability to ‘punitive rape’

Mwandayi

Chirongoma²

2022

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

With the rise of feminist thinking, the phenomenon of the rape culture has admittedly drawn the attention of many academics especially in biblical studies. While several academics have done a commendable job of demonstrating how ancient biblical stories can have a bearing upon elements of the modern rape culture, the bulk of the literature has been penned from a Western standpoint and it is only by inference that one can find a resonance with the African situation. Given that the rape culture is not just a Western phenomenon but a pervasive global challenge, this article introduces an African perspective on this matter. Wearing feminist hermeneutical lenses, the article engages in a comparative analysis of the gender-based violations, human rights abuses, and the absolute lack of hospitality depicted in Judges 19–21 with the experiences of a Zimbabwean woman, Rutendo Munengami. It then taps into the lived experiences of the given women as resources which can be used to seriously think about the ugly dehumanising effects of rape and in so doing, bolster efforts towards combating the modern rape culture. In this article, it is our contention that people, the world over, and the Zimbabwean society in particular, need to earnestly acknowledge the pain and anguish experienced by the Levite’s concubine as well as Munengami and other countless women who have been victims of rape. We conclude the article by restating that wherever the rape culture is prevalent, people need to embrace and uphold the principles of human dignity, hospitality, justice and equality, and resolutely move away from a culture of denial and apathy when it comes to issues of rape.Contribution: This article juxtaposes the experiences of the sexual violence endured by the concubine in Judges 19 and that of a Zimbabwean woman, Rutendo Munengami. It concludes by proffering possible ways of curbing the rape culture which has crept into Africa like a cancerous worm.

show abstract

Section: Unanimous Response To Atrocitysupporting

confidence: 62%

A re-reading of Judges 19 in juxtaposition to the Zimbabwean women’s vulnerability to ‘punitive rape’

Mwandayi

Chirongoma²

2022

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, the oldest known surviving recorded law, the Code of Ur-Nammu, written in Mesopotamia (c. 2100-2050 BC), prescribes death as punishment for rape (Hirsch, 2014). From the Sumerian to the Roman period, the Laws of Eshnunna, the Code of Hammurabi, Middle Assyrian and Hittite Laws (Lafont, 1999), and the book of Deuteronomy in the Hebrew scriptures (Scholz, 2005) regulate rape. These codes vary regarding punishment for rape by the victim's status in terms of virginity, marital status, and property (i.e., female slaves).…”

Section: History Revealed In Ancient Law the Western Literary Canon A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Clearly, they are the foundation for rape myths worldwide, and some existing religious laws that endure today in the Middle East. Some scholars interpret ancient laws or codes put forth in ancient religious texts as governing marriage, adultery, or seduction, but when read with a perspective that recognizes the global rape culture, these laws clearly refer to rape, regarding women as objects or spoils and men as actors with unchecked power (Scholz, 2005). For example, in an oft-misinterpreted passage of Hebrew scripture in the book of Samuel, King David rapes Bathsheba, Uriah's wife: David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.…”

Section: History Revealed In Ancient Law the Western Literary Canon A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Later Bathsheba sends word to David that she is pregnant with his child; David sends Uriah into battle where he will be killed. Various theological interpretations describe this story as a lesson about adultery, Bathsheba's modesty, or culpability, but, read as Scholz (2005) urges, it is about the abuse of power. David rapes Bathsheba, has her husband killed, and later takes Bathsheba as his wife because he can (Davidson, 2006).…”

Section: History Revealed In Ancient Law the Western Literary Canon A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A history of gender-based violence.

Cook¹,

Wilson²,

Thomas³

APA Handbook of the Psychology of Women: Perspectives on Women's Private and Public Lives (Vol. 2).

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Beauty, Rescue, Disappointment, and the Erotic: A Response to Julia Watts Belser, Loving Our Own Bones

Graybill

2024

Journal of Disability & Religion

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“Back Then It Was Legal” The Epistemological Imbalance in Readings of Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Rape Legislation

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

A re-reading of Judges 19 in juxtaposition to the Zimbabwean women’s vulnerability to ‘punitive rape’

A re-reading of Judges 19 in juxtaposition to the Zimbabwean women’s vulnerability to ‘punitive rape’

A history of gender-based violence.

Beauty, Rescue, Disappointment, and the Erotic: A Response to Julia Watts Belser, Loving Our Own Bones

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About