More traditional Jewish scholarship suggests that the writers of the Bible knew nothing of erotic attraction between women, and could not prohibit something about which there was no knowledge or awareness.Īnother traditional interpretation is that the behavior was obviously prohibited because what applied to men applied to women. Biblical critics have suggested that this difference exists because female homoerotic behavior would not have been considered sexual behavior, which in ancient times was understood to require the emission of semen.Ī related theory suggests that nothing women did without men would matter because women were not full persons by biblical standards. The absence of discussion of lesbianism in this context has raised scholarly interest. Lesbianism is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, in contrast to male homosexual behavior, which is expressly forbidden as a capital crime. Only in the late 20th century have Jewish scholars and communities faced the issue of erotic love between women. Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopediaįor most of its 3000 history, lesbianism has been a subject of little interest in Jewish texts and societies. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help Donate
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