RAB 547 Certain Women in the Midrash
This course will examine midrashic texts which explore the lives of select women in the Hebrew Bible. Our focus will be on some lesser-known biblical personalities, for example, Serah bat Asher and Bityah bat Paroh. We will also assess the midrashic handling of more central figures in the story of Israel's deliverance from slavery, namely, Miriam, and Israel's entrance into the Promised Land, as depicted in the life of Rahav. Our study will lead us through a variety of midrashic compilations while our classroom discussion will respond to such pivotal, underlying questions as: What may we learn from the rabbinic construction of these women's lives? What may we learn from a male-centered literature about women? How may we teach these texts in today's world?