Bible Journey

Behind | No Priestesses in Israel

We may ask why there are no female ritual leaders in Levitical legislation and in the detailed personnel descriptions of Chronicles. Was it because, as some suggest, Israel was a patriarchal culture, restricting women to domestic spheres to maintain a male monopoly of power? Reading the Bible in light of its cultural context of Israel makes more sense. The worship of YHWH was designed to be intentionally different from its neighboring religions in many ways, clearly disengaging any ideological connection with paganism. Sexuality in worship (like the use of magic) was comprehensively forbidden. While Israelite women were invited into worship, they were not exploited by its rituals.

from Bible Journey, Complete Study 2: History & Poetry, Course 5: Kings & Chronicles, Part 2, Lesson 3: Overview of 1 & 2 Chronicles