Women’s Cults In Ancient Israel

GREENWICH — “Women’s Cults in Ancient Israel: the Archaeological Evidence” will be the topic of Professor William G. Dever and Dr Pamela Gaber in a slide/lecture on Thursday, December 16, at 8 pm. Held in the lecture hall of the Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, the program is sponsored by the Archaeological Associate of Greenwich.

The lecture is free to AAG and Bruce Museum members and $8 to the public at the door.

The Hebrew Bible was written by men and reflects, almost exclusively, their religious views. So it is not surprising that the Bible did not reflect the voices of women in ancient Israel. Recently, however, archaeological evidence has shed dramatic light on “family cults,” especially women’s religious beliefs and practices. Dr Dever and Dr Gaber’s lecture will illustrate what experts call “folk religion.” Furthermore, it will raise the question of whether men’s and women’s religious concerns were different.

Dr Dever is professor emeritus of Near Eastern archaeology and anthropology at the University of Arizona. From 1971 to 1975, he was the director of the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem. He led excavations in Gezer from 1966 to 1971 and returned to Gezer in 1984 and 1990. He is the author of more than 25 books, including Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did they Come From? which will be available at the lecture.

Dr Gaber, is an archaeologist, author, and lecturer as well as a leading authority on Cypriot archaeology. She has served as professor of art history, archaeology and Near Eastern studies at several institutions, including the University of Arizona and Harvard University.