Katie J. Woolstenhulme explores the significant yet overlooked role of the biblical matriarchs in Genesis Rabbah, a fifth-century CE rabbinic commentary on Genesis. While scholarship on women in the Bible and Rabbinic Judaism has grown, the matriarchs have not received the attention they deserve. Woolstenhulme begins by examining midrash and introducing Genesis Rabbah, then delves into the term 'the matriarchs' and its evolution in early exegetical literature. She identifies two definitions in Genesis Rabbah: one as the legitimate wives of Israel's patriarchs and the other as Jacob's four wives, who bore the tribal ancestors of Israel. The discussion progresses to 'the matriarchal cycle,' which encompasses three stages: barrenness, motherhood, and succession. Woolstenhulme analyzes how Genesis Rabbah depicts the matriarchs as representatives of women, highlighting both positive and negative rabbinic attitudes towards femininity, focusing on themes of piety, prayer, beauty, and sexuality, as well as the perpetuation of negative female stereotypes. Ultimately, this volume concludes that the ancient rabbis viewed the matriarchs as not only the historical mothers of Israel who bore covenant sons but also as contemporary figures continuing to shape Jewish identity.
