Women at Work in the Deuteronomistic History - International Voices ...

220 | WOMEN AT WORK IN THE DTRH
SECTION III: NOTABLE ABSENTEES FROM DTRH
In this section I turn to notable absentees. By this is meant occupations that
belong to everyday life, from a small to a large household, in all probability part
and parcel of a woman’s chore, at the domestic level and also professionally.
Thus, finding them mentioned in the DtrH would not have come as a surprise,
but not once are they recognized. Since “could have been mentioned” is very
subjective, it may help set three questions as criteria:
• Could ancient Israelites have lived without “it” (e.g., midwifery,
spinning, dentistry, divination, hairdressing, etc.)?
• Is there a term in the Bible that hints at this occupation?
• Is it probable that a woman would have professionally performed this
activity?
When the answers to all these are affirmative, they come in this section,
provided their realm is not specifically political or religious, such as the
prophetess, the judge, the queen or the diviner, left untreated on purpose.
תדלימ — Midwife and Health-Care Giver
The Hebrew term for midwife is תדלימ, pi`el feminine participle of דלי. 163
Midwifery involved several activities and skills, many of which can easily be
lost to today’s reader, since the term is not stated in many texts, and the
characteristics of the occupation have changed. No other professional was so
much in contact primarily with women as a midwife was. According to studies
by Matthews and Benjamin, the midwife played a key role in monitoring the
whole process leading to a child, starting from finding out what would be the
right moment for conception and making it as propitious as possible, conducting
pre-natal care, helping during delivery and finally presenting the baby to the
father or disposing of it if the father did not want it. 164 In spite of the fact that
practically every woman was assisted by a midwife, “תדלימ” is not mentioned
once in the laws, in DtrH, in wisdom literature or in the prophets. Where do we
find them? Midwives appear twice in Genesis and once in Exod 1. This is
telling, considering that “the woman’s most important role was the bearing of
numerous children (Gen. 1:28; 9:1), while the man hoped to produce many
progeny who would contribute needed labor and continue the household into the
163 The pi`el stem is the only one with the meaning “to act as a midwife.” דלי hip`il appears in Isa
55:10 with YHWH bringing forth life from the rain, and in 66:9 with YHWH as the one who opens
the womb and delivers. Other instances have to do with conception. See J. Kühlewein, “דלי,” in
TLOT (ed. Ernst Jenni & Claus Westermann; 3 vol.; Peabody: Hendrickson, 1997), 2.546; GK
II.393.
164 Matthews & Benjamin, Social World of Ancient Israel, 67–74; Don C. Benjamin, “Israel’s God:
Mother and Midwife,” BTB 19 (1989): 117; see also 115.