Men, Masculinities and Intermarriage in Ezra 9-10 (Routledge Studies in the Biblical World)

Offering a reading of the intermarriage debate and expulsion of the foreign women in Ezra 9-10, this book engages with the production and performance of masculinities in this biblical text, shifting the focus away from the 'foreign women' to the men who are the primary actors in this work. This approach addresses the diversity of masculinities and the ways in which they are implicated in the production of power relations in the text. It explores the ‘feminized’ masculinity of the peoples-of-the-lands, the unstable masculinity of the golah , Ezra’s performance of penitential masculinity, and the rehabilitation of divine masculinity. The rejection of the marriages and the call for the expulsion of the women and children are addressed as sites on which masculinities and power relations are configured. In doing so, this book sheds light on how women and the traits and performances culturally ascribed to women, femininity and inferior masculinities, are appropriated to produce masculinities and negotiate power relations between men. It posits that the debate in Ezra 9-10 is not, ultimately, about the women themselves, but about bringing the masculinities, bodies and practices of dissenting men under the ‘management’ of those who wield the Torah in the narrative world of the text. Men, Masculinities and Intermarriage in Ezra-9-10 is of interest for scholars and students working on the Book of Ezra specifically, as well as the Hebrew Bible and its world more broadly. It is also a valuable study for those working on masculinities and gender in the biblical world and ancient Near East. Cover Half Title Series Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Preface 1 Introduction: the problem with the foreign women in Ezra 9–10 Introduction The problem with the problem of the foreign women The ‘real’ women of Yehud Embracing ambiguity Outline of the book References 2 What masculinities do to help Introduction Gender matters Men and masculinities in the Hebrew Bible Gendering otherness References 3 Gendering otherness in Ezra 9–10 Introduction The men of the golah The enemy is a ‘she’ Daughters of the Canaanites People of menstrual impurity Golah masculinity and its discontents References 4 Mourning and masculinity Introduction Ezra the man Ezra the mourner The power of mourning Problematizing priestly performance References 5 The masculinization of Yhwh Introduction The silent god of Ezra 9–10 The problem of the exile for the masculinity of Yhwh The supreme monarch The benevolent provider The imperial lawgiver References 6 Intermarriage, foreign women and masculinities Introduction Intermarriage and masculinities Managing men Foreign women and golah masculinities References 7 Conclusion: masculinities matter Introduction On men and masculinities in Ezra 9–10 Managing men Beyond the text References Index