Susan Ackerman, “How Does a Woman Get To Be a Prophet in Ancient Israel?,” November 7, 2023

Prof. Susan Ackerman presented on her latest book "Women and the Religion of Ancient Israel." In her work, Prof. Ackerman offers a comprehensive account of ancient Israelite women’s religious lives and experiences. She examines the various sites of their practice, including household shrines, regional sanctuaries, and national temples; the calendar of religious rituals that women observed on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis; and their special roles in religious settings. Drawing on texts, archaeology, and material culture, and documenting the distinctions between Israelite women’s experiences and those of their male counterparts, Prof. Ackerman reconstructs an essential picture of women’s lived religion in ancient Israelite culture. This event was sponsored by the Boston College Theology Department and co-sponsored by the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning.