Gender Studies and Kings

The name of the books of Kings suggests a focus entirely upon masculine rulers. In fact, the books of Kings present a cross-section of the professional, political, and religious roles held by women in ancient Israel and Judah. Beyond highlighting female-specific roles from the text, we can also look to the ways in which the text reflects and constructs a specific orientation towards gender. The books of Kings describe and normalize various qualities and roles that were considered appropriate and expected for men and women. Study of gender in Kings must therefore look beyond the reconstruction of the social, political, and religious roles held by men and women, to encounter the construction of masculinity and femininity that is inherent to these roles. This chapter provides a review of scholarship that has focused upon the social and professional roles of the female characters in Kings, before moving to consider the ways in which gender figures into the presentation of these characters.