This volume explores how the interpretation of material from the ancient Near East is enriched through the application of diverse methodological and theoretical approaches to studying gender.

The contributors to this collection include both established and up-and-coming scholars whose work brings gender studies theories-from Butler's theory of gender as a performance to more recent theories that consider gender as a spectrum-to bear on varied materials and contexts. Their essays increase the visibility of women in ancient history, untangle constructions of masculinity and femininity in diverse contexts, and grapple with big-picture questions, such as the suitability of applying third-wave or postfeminist theories to the ancient Near East. Studying Gender in the Ancient Near East points to a need for-and provides a model of-a more productive agenda for gender studies in furthering our understanding of ancient Near Eastern societies.

In addition to the editors, the contributors are Julia M. Asher-Greve, Stephanie Lynn Budin, Megan Cifarelli, M. Erica Couto-Ferreira, Amy Rebecca Gansell, Katrien De Graef, Amelie Kuhrt, Stephanie M. Langin-Hooper, Brigitte Lion, Natalie N. May, Beth Alpert Nakhai, Martti Nissinen, Omar N'Shea, Maria Rosa Oliver, Frances Pinnock, Eleonora Ravenna, Allison Karmel Thomason, Luciana Urbano, Niek Veldhuis, and Ilona Zsolnay.

About the Author

Agnes Garcia-Ventura is Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Barcelona.

Saana Svard is the Director of the Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires at the University of Helsinki.

Reviews

"This volume succeeds in the editors' broad goal of moving gender studies in the ANE forward. The editors deserve praise for organizing the workshops that led to this volume and publishing a collection of strong papers written by such a diverse group of scholars. One can only hope that the tools offered here will be adopted broadly and not only by researchers-most of them women-with a specific interest in gender issues."

-Jennie Ebeling Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies

"The diverse backgrounds of the contributors allow for a range of fruitful discussions on gender methodologies and provide important reflections on the future of the field. This volume will have significant impact for those researching and challenging assumptions about gender in the ANE."

-Karina Atudosie Society for Old Testament Study Booklist (JSOT)

Book Information
ISBN 9781575067704
Author Saana Svard
Format Hardback
Page Count 520
Imprint Eisenbrauns
Publisher Pennsylvania State University Press
Weight(grams) 1225g
Dimensions(mm) 254mm * 178mm * 43mm