There is no question whatsoever that the books of the Bible were written against the background of strongly patriarchal societies, from the ancient Near East to the Greco-Roman world. In these societies, men’s and women’s rights were certainly not equal, and the subservience of women to men was virtually taken for granted. The question is: how much does the Bible continue to reinforce this mindset, and to what extent does it plant seeds for dramatic change?
On the one hand, there are Torah laws, which reinforce the status quo, such as a husband can nullify his wife’s vow to God (Num 30:13) and a husband can bring a charge to the priests if he suspects his wife has committed adultery (Num 5:11-15). There is no provision, however, for a wife to do the same.
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