Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
1 Eve and Noah's Wife: Mothers of Us All 1
2 Sarah and Hagar: Bad Blood Down to the Present Day 13
3 Lot's Wife and Daughters: Pillar of Salt and Premeditated Incest 29
4 Rebekah: Maiden, Wife, and Mother 43
5 Rachel and Leah: Rival Sisters 58
6 Dinah and Tamar. Shameful Stories of Pain and Complicity 71
7 Jochebed, Miriam, and Zipporah: Moses's Mother, Sister, and Wife 83
8 Rahab and the Five Daughters of Zelophehad: Reward and Justice 98
9 Deborah and Jael: Military Icons 110
10 Delilah, Samson's Mother, and Other Nameless Women: Guile and Innocence 121
11 Naomi and Ruth: Geographical and Spiritual Journeys 132
12 Hannah and Peninnah: The Perils of Polygamy 145
13 Abigail and Michal: Unfortunate Wives of David 155
14 Bathsheba: Seducer, Widow, Wife, and Mother 168
15 Jezebel, Athaliah, and Huldah: Strong Voices for Baal and for God 180
16 Vashti and Esther: Queens of Persia 194
17 Job's Wife, Proverbs 31 Woman, Song of Songs Lover, and Gomer: Symbolism and More 206
18 Anna and Elizabeth: Preparing the Way with Prophecy and Song 220
19 Mary: Mother and Disciple of Jesus 230
20 A Samaritan, an Adulterer, and a Menopausal Woman: Encountering Jesus 244
21 Mary Magdalene and Mary and Martha of Bethany: Friends of Jesus 258
22 Sapphira, Dorcas, and Rhoda: Women Associated with the Apostle Peter 269
23 Lydia, Euodia, Syntyche, and Junia: Paul's Female Connections 279
24 Phoebe and Priscilla: Ministry in the Early Church 291
Epilogue 303
Notes 305
Reference List 309
Index 313
