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Dear BAS Library Member,
The Bible is often noted—and criticized—for being a patriarchal book, its pages filled with the adventures, exploits, deeds and misdeeds of innumerable male characters, from Adam and Abraham to Moses and Jesus. But while men certainly dominate the Bible's story line, women play important, decisive roles as well. And when women do appear, they are not passive, demure, timid and submissive, but rather active, bold, fearless and assertive.
In the July 2011 issue of The BAS Library Explorer, we highlight several articles from the pages of Bible Review that explore the role of women in the Bible. Included are studies of Biblical heroines like Ruth, Hagar and Mary Magdalene, as well as lesser known figures, like Thecla of Iconium, a follower of the apostle Paul who became an early Christian legend. As a BAS Library Member, you will receive The BAS Library Explorer covering a new topic each month. We hope you enjoy this monthly guide to the vast array of material available in the BAS Library.
 But before exploring the lives of these Biblical women, I'd like to announce this month's members-only merchandise special, a substantial discount on the popular DVD lecture set The Bible in Context | Jesus and His First Followers | Just Dug Up. This 15-lecture collection is available to BAS Library Members only for $69.95 during July 2011 (original price: $289.50). Members, log in and click on Member Offers in the tan menu bar to order this engaging lecture set at this incredibly low price. And remember, BAS Library members can also take 10% off any regularly priced merchandise at the BAS Store, any time. Just log in to the BAS Library to see the monthly members discount code.
In Unlikely Heroes, Gary A. Rendsburg explores the various roles played by women in the Hebrew Bible and how women--particularly foreign, non-Israelite women like Rahab, Ruth, and Hagar--embodied the historical triumph of ancient Israel among its neighbors. According to Rendsburg, these lowly women, mistreated and existing at the margins of society, best represented Israel's early history as an outsider that was able to overcome oppression and violence.
In How Mary Magdalene Became a Whore, Jane Schaberg demonstrates that the popular image of Mary Magdalene as a repentant prostitute has no Gospel foundation within the Christian tradition. To the contrary, as Schaberg describes, Mary Magdalene appears to have been an important figure among Jesus' followers, and her position as a witness of the crucifixion and resurrection lent apostolic authority to women before interpretive legends distorted her legacy.
 Little known today, Thecla of Iconium, whose story is preserved in the apocryphal Acts of Paul, enjoyed fame perhaps second only to Mary, mother of Jesus, in the early Christian era. In Thecla: The Apostle Who Defied Women's Destiny, David R. Cartlidge tells the story of this woman who defied social convention and followed Paul and the apostolic path. In the succeeding centuries, she was celebrated in legends and venerated at sacred sites. Thecla's story provides valuable insights into the role of women in early Christianity, as well as the challenges a female apostle faced in the Greco-Roman world.
 Finally, in Discovering Women in Scripture), Carol Meyers talks about the complex but satisfying challenge she faced in writing and editing a comprehensive dictionary of women in the Bible. The dictionary, Women in Scripture, provides entries for all 207 named women in the Bible, from Abigail to Zipporah, as well as more than 600 entries for the women who remain unnamed. As Meyers argues, the abundance of unnamed women cannot be simply attributed to Biblical sexism. Rather, the omission of women's names may result from literary strategy, Biblical androcentrism or concern with patrilineality (tracing descent through the male line).
But don't stop reading after these articles! There are countless other articles in the BAS Library ready to engage and fascinate you. The powerful and easy-to-use search features can guide you even further through every article we have published in the past 35 years (6,600 and counting). Every photograph, more than 18,500 of them, is also fully viewable—along with the captions, of course. Plus, we've made it simple to delve deeper into this month's rich topic in Women of the Bible, one of the many special collections offered in the BAS Library.
 The monthly video lecture for July is Isaiah in the Dead Sea Scrolls by Peter Flint. Flint holds the Canada Research Chair in Dead Sea Scrolls Studies and is Professor of Religious Studies at Trinity Western University, Canada. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Flint has authored many studies on the Dead Sea Scrolls, including The Dead Sea Psalms Scrolls and the Book of Psalms (1997) and The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls (2003). He has edited over 25 Dead Sea Scrolls for Oxford University Press, and recently completed the official edition of the Great Isaiah Scroll and the second Isaiah Scroll from Cave One (Oxford University Press).
And, as a reminder, if you haven't already taken a look at them, I encourage you to explore the interactive digital editions of BAR from 2011 onward that are now available in the BAS Library.
Whether it's to research a paper, to prepare a sermon, to deepen your understanding of scripture or history, or simply to marvel at the complexity of the Bible--the most important book in history--the BAS Library is an invaluable tool that cannot be matched anywhere else. I promise, you won't be disappointed by the wealth of material you'll find there to enjoy, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,
Sara Murphy, Web Editor
Biblical Archaeology Society
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