Josephus' representation of female slaves in Jewish Antiquities books I-IV

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to present and analyse material in Antiquities I-IV where Josephus deals with the topic of female slaves and their relationships with Jewish masters, noting where Josephus agrees with the canonical versions of the Pentateuch and where he represents considerable variations. Much of the analysis is, therefore, concerned with an in-depth critical comparison between Josephus' material and the evidence of the laws and narratives of the Pentateuch. The analysis demonstrates, in particular, the extent to which Josephus' accounts represent a reordering, augmentation, fusing together of different texts, or omissions from the texts of the Pentateuch, and the extent to which he, like other writers of the Second Temple Period, engages in the rewriting of scripture. As for the significance of Josephus' rewriting of the Pentateuchal material on female slaves, special attention is given to the following issues. Firstly, Josephus' alterations to the characterisations of the main protagonists in the Genesis narratives, secondly, Josephus' attitude to slaves and slavery; and thirdly, his general attitude towards gender in his retellings of the laws and narratives. Looking more broadly in the wider context of Josephus' Antiquities, attention is also given to the questions of why Josephus rewrote as he did and to what extent his work on female slaves point to the identity of his readership, especially to an elite Roman readership? Chapter One focuses on Josephus as an interpreter of the Pentateuch. It concentrates on the various contexts and circumstances of his life that may have influenced his technique and agenda for rewriting the slave laws and narratives in the Antiquities I-IV. This introductory chapter is also concerned with what may have shaped Josephus' view of slaves and slavery, as well as his attitude to women and social class. Chapter Two is an analysis of Josephus' representation of the Pentateuchal laws that regulate marriage and sexual relationships between free Jewish men and slave women. This chapter looks at three examples of Josephus' modifications to the canonical Pentateuch in the Antiquities III and TV: a) his innovation of slave legislation that he represents as Mosaic law; b) his interpretation of the Levitical laws that prohibit priestly marriage to certain categories of women, including slaves; and c) his interpretation of the regulations for the acquisition of the 'beautiful captive' in Deuteronomy. Chapter Three looks at Josephus' interpretation of the Hagar episodes, paying particular attention to where he modifies the text and where he has altered the dynamics of the relationships between Hagar, Sarah and Abraham. This chapter presents a comparative critical analysis of Josephus' retelling of the stories and canonical Genesis: it also compares Josephus' version with other Second Temple Period sources that also deal with the Hagar narratives. Chapter Four attends to Josephus' treatment of the Jacob narratives, with special attention to his representation of Jacob's relationship with the slave women, Zelpha and Balla, and Josephus' alterations to the status of the slaves in relation to canonical Genesis. This chapter notes firstly, Josephus' considerable alterations to this section of the Jacob story, and secondly, his substantial modifications to the manner in which canonical Genesis characterises the main protagonists of the scenes.

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