Circumcision, famously, is understood by ancient Israelites and Jews as a central marker of belonging, the sign of the covenant forged with their God. Some adherents to the God of Israel in the Second Temple period reasoned that gentiles too could choose to worship this God. If they surrendered their foreskins, they gained inclusion. Others disagreed. But what of those whose bodies did not have penises and were therefore erased from the conversation entirely? What of the unequipped, unqualified? What about, for example, women?More from Professor Hicks-Keeton on her work on Joseph and Aseneth. Background here and links.
[...]
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.