Bees, Wasps, and Weasels: Zoomorphic Slurs and the Delegitimation of Deborah and Huldah in the Babylonian Talmud

Blaženka Scheuer examines the zoomorphic content of Zibburta and Karkušta, revealing ancient beliefs about bees, wasps, and weasels. She demonstrates how zoomorphism was used to interpret Deborah and Huldah stories and their versions, challenging rabbinic beliefs about women's role and the nature of God. The symbolic association of bees and weasels with asexual conception and birth also made the zoomorphic slurs against Deborah and Huldah effective against the doctrine of virgin birth in early Christianity. Scheuer highlights the culturally rich and religiously competitive world in which the biblical texts were transmitted.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 15 August 2023
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Blaženka Scheuer's book explores the zoomorphic content of Zibburta (bee/wasp) and Karkušta (weasel)—demeaning names given by R. Na?man of b. Meg 14b to Deborah and Huldah, two distinguished prophets of the Hebrew Bible. Scheuer examines ancient beliefs about bees, wasps, and weasels, recounting various literary and visual motifs that highlight their distinct attributes. She demonstrates how zoomorphic images were used as interpretative keys in the formation of Deborah and Huldah stories in the Hebrew Bible and their subsequent versions. Scheuer argues that the symbolic association of bees and weasels with asexual conception and birth also made the zoomorphic slurs about Deborah and Huldah effective as an argument against the doctrine of virgin birth in early Christianity. She emphasizes the foundational process of constant negotiation of traditions and textual interpretations, exposing the culturally rich and religiously competitive world in which the biblical texts were transmitted.

Weight: 513g
Dimension: 236 x 160 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978714526