Who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies?

Proverbs chapter 31, verse 10.

Hey listeners, this is Nick from Book of Mormon Central, and today's podcast addresses the question.

Why were women important in ancient Israel? For a long time, many biblical

scholars noted that the Old Testament is largely concerned with preserving the stories of great prophets,

the dealings of God with men, and the civic and priestly laws by which men were to govern themselves and interact

with each other, more so than it is with the daily functioning of families and households,

where women's roles were most significant. Thus, many of the important roles women played in

ancient society are mentioned less prominently in the scriptural text as a whole.

Recently, however, many scholars

have made a more concerted effort to notice and document the roles of women during Old Testament times.

As noted by Ariel Bybee, women in Scripture were not systemically ignored any more than the

majority of men were. They simply wielded their influence in a more intimate,

less visible sphere. Innovative scholarship focusing on the roles of women in antiquity,

including some studies done by insightful Latter-day Saint-Women, has helped bring greater visibility

to women's roles and how crucial they were to the ancient world and its ability to function.

Women's important roles in ancient Israel were often complex and multifaceted. A woman's daily

activities could also be time-consuming as she worked tirelessly to provide food and clothing

for her family. Six days a week women sorted, cleaned,

parched, and ground grain, kneaded and baked bread, drew water, collected fuel

for cooking, butchered and cleaned small animals, milked, turned butter, made

cheese and yogurt, tended vegetable gardens and fruit trees, and preserved

...