We do not know her name but one grand lady from the 9th century BCE has left her mark not only on the Bible but also on the mythology of miracles - and on contemporary Feminist scholarship.
Shunem is somewhere in the North of Israel, and Elisha, the prophet du-jour has passed by there enough times to be worthy of a wealthy family’s hospitality. The couple’s names are not given, but we are told that the lady of the house convinces - or commands - her husband to furnish a small attic for Elisha, complete with bed, table, lamp and chair, so that he can rest whenever he stays over. In appreciation of her generosity, Elisha asks her if he can intervene on her behalf to the authorities, but she responds with confidence - that she has everything she needs, introducing an intriguing and long-lasting expression:
He said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak in your behalf to the king or to the army commander?’” She replied, “I dwell among my own people.”
The expression “I dwell among my own people” seems to indicate not only security but also authority. Mystics have explored its meaning for the sense of soulful presence. Historians use it as a way to manifest nationalist aspirations for autonomy and independence. Prof. Carol Meyer, a leading archeologist and biblical scholar focused on the Feminist lens through which to make sense of history and reality - explores this narrative to ponder the origins of Patriarchy and what may have really been the reality of gender among the dwellers of ancient Israel:
“To be sure, the Bible is androcentric by any measure—the majority of its characters are male, and the male perspective appears throughout. Yet is it an accurate reflection of Israelite society of the Iron Age (ca. 1200–587 B.C.E.), which is not always the same as the Israel of the Bible? A close look at the two narratives of the Shunammite woman and a consideration of the origins of the concept of patriarchy and the problems it poses may lead to a rather different view of the purported gender hierarchy in ancient Israel...
The woman of Shunem is not named, but her status is indicated. In 2 Kings 4:8 she is called gĕdôlâ (probably “great” or “distinguished”), a term usually describing esteemed people.
Several features of the episodes reveal gender dynamics in a well-to-do family. First, the woman of Shunem interacts readily with important figures: Elisha the prophet throughout, and the king at the end.
Second, she asserts that she needs no special favors from local officials, apparently because of her status in her community. Third, she makes decisions affecting her household autonomously—she, not her husband (who is also unnamed), is the one who recognizes Elisha as a holy man and offers him hospitality; she conceives of the home-improvement project that will provide lodging for the prophet; she decides to contact Elisha for help, despite her husband’s protests, when her son dies; and she alone appeals to the king for restitution of her home and property after the famine.This woman exhibits the traits of a COO—chief operating officer—of the household.”
Meyer’s focus on this woman’s status goes on to describe the main miracle that she benefits from, with Elisha’s help: Despite her status, she, like other grand ladies in the Bible, is barren. With his blessing (or intervention?) She finally conceives and gives birth to a boy. But that’s just part one of the miracle. Years later, the boy falls ill and lays lifeless in the attic that his mother set up for the miracle man. Elisha is summoned, performs what seems like early CPR and resurrects the child whose life he orchestrated in the first place.
The story is set in the context of Elisha’s miracle making - it’s one of several in this chapter and many more coming up. But despite the focus on Elisha’s role - it is the woman’s role that is intriguing here, and it’s where Meyers and other modern scholars mine this chapter for learning more about the lives our mothers led - rarely told or shared, and rarely in the spotlight. Meyers brings up extensive research from her archaeological work that challenge some of the common assumptions about the primacy of masculine leadership in a society where men held most of the political - but not the domestic - power:
“...The results of analyzing archaeological data fit with the images of the Shunammite and several other biblical women and contest the idea that all women were subordinate in household life. Moreover, biblical evidence about extra-household roles shows women functioning in authoritative positions as prophets (e.g., Miriam, Deborah, Huldah), sages (the wise women of Tekoa and Abel of beth-maacah), mourners (Jer 9:20), royal officials (as gĕbîrâ, “great lady”), and even one judge and general (Deborah). Women were hardly subordinate in all community roles.”
So what’s the purpose of this peculiar tale? Claudia V. Camp suggests that “Prophet legends such as these usually serve to impress the reader or listener with the prophet’s power. The characterization of the great woman of Shunem both supports and subverts this purpose. In some respects, she is stereotypically subordinated to Elisha: he is named, whereas she is not; he rarely speaks directly to her, even when she is present; he decides that she should have a child, when she has expressed no such desire; she speechlessly bows in the face of his resurrecting power. On the other hand, she is presented as the decision-making head of her household and as the initiating and unintimidated actor in her relationship with the prophet—indeed, one who reveals the limits of Elisha’s own communication with God.”
Whoever she was, her story lingers. Some traditions claim that the resurrected son will also reappear - as the prophet Habakuk. But for now, we leave her there, and focus on the miracles of Elisha - feeding the hungry, healing the lepers and leaping into uncharted territories of the miraculous like no other prophet we have met before.
Image: Elisha and the Shunammite Woman, 1643, by Hans Collaert. Rijksmuseum.
What is The Forgotten Kingdom? Join our Monthly Conversation on Zoom:
Join me on Thursday, April 27th 2023, at 1pm ET, for a closer look at the Books of Kings - and a special focus on the Northern Kingdom of Israel through the eyes of modern scholars.
This is our 60 min. monthly Live Zoom conversation to go even deeper below the belt.
Please note - this monthly zoom conversation is a perk for paid subscribers of Below the Bible Belt, generously enabling this blog to be free daily for all, and supporting this marathon in the making! Thank you for the continued support in so many ways.
Want to become a paid subscriber today? details here. Sign up: Here. Thank you for your kind support.
Zoom link will be sent a few days before the 4/27 conversation.
Below the Bible Belt: 929 chapters, 42 months, daily reflections.
Become a free or paid subscriber and join Rabbi Amichai’s 3+ years interactive online quest to question, queer + re-read between the lines of the entire Hebrew Bible. Enjoy daily posts, weekly videos and monthly learning sessions. 2022-2025.