Vows

Close reading of the relevant biblical texts uncovers friction, maybe momentous historical reform.

The vows of maiden daughters and wives are subject to veto by the woman’s father or husband. What does this say about the status of women in ancient Israel?

The vow Jacob makes to God is ambiguous. Where does the condition of the vow end and his action begin?

Numbers 6 allows women to take the nazirite vow, rendering them “holy to YHWH” with a temporary, quasi-priestly status. Numbers 30, however, grants fathers and husbands veto power over vows made by women under their auspices, but without mentioning the nazirite vow. How are we to understand the relationship between these two chapters?  

How a provoking and problematic Aramaic prayer continues to mesmerize so many Jews every Yom Kippur.

The story of Jephthah’s daughter is famous as an example of child sacrifice, yet certain clues in the biblical text imply she may have suffered a very different fate.