In this part, let's have a look at the value of women in the bible further.
According to the bible (King James) women are a spoil of war- in the same category of donkeys, material goods or other possessions:
"And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was 675,000 sheep, And 72,000 beeves, And 61,000 asses, And 32,000 persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him . . . of which the Lord's tribute was 32 persons. And Moses gave the tribute..." (Numbers 31:32-41)
Once again (as in part 1) we see that the only valuable women are virgins. The word "booty" has made a re-entry into popular discourse in recent years- I wonder if Beyonce would be so quick to promote her "Bootilicious"ness if she knew it was likening herself to being nothing more than something to barter with?
This is not the only time a woman is traded as a commodity in the bible:
". . . . And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; . . . And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed." (Judges 11:30-39). What better gift could you give someone, than your daughter? [note heavy sarcasm]
But if you happen to rape a virgin who was engaged to someone else, it seems this would ruin the value she had (and presumably what the family could gain from this commodity). So what's the solution for this- I know, she should be stoned to death!:
"If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of the city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you." (Deuteronomy 22:23-24)
Was it that no one was around to witness the cries, or that she was gagged, beaten or unable to cry out for other reasons? Doesn't matter, she's ruined now, just kill her... unless.. she's not engaged, in which case she should be forced to marry her rapist, for the appropriate price the family can gain:
"If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days." (Deuteronomy 22:28-29)
Interesting too, in the purchase of a woman (if not just giving them away) is what could be seen as an equal value item:
"Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife." (I Samuel 18:27).
Unless you run an eyelid transplant or skin grafting business, what the fuck would you want with 200 foreskins? 200 foreskins from the corpses of your enemies as well, rotting and fly-ridden no doubt. Are there any alternate references to a woman's worth? Of course- it's best to be clear, but in general, around half of what a man is worth:
"... And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. And if it be a female,then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels. And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver. And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels." (Leviticus 27:1-7)
If you are not worth 10 shekels or 200 foreskins though, and are an undesirable (I assume sexually active, or one with an opinion, are the huge crimes a woman would commit to fit in this category), then the bible says they should be publicly degraded and humiliated by being made to expose your genitals and having a skin condition inflicted as a punishment.
"Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover bare their secret parts." (Isaiah 3:16-17)
So in this part we've seen women traded as a possession, raped, killed for being raped, being worth half of what a man is or equivalent to a pile of rotting foreskins.
According to the bible (King James) women are a spoil of war- in the same category of donkeys, material goods or other possessions:
"And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was 675,000 sheep, And 72,000 beeves, And 61,000 asses, And 32,000 persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him . . . of which the Lord's tribute was 32 persons. And Moses gave the tribute..." (Numbers 31:32-41)
Once again (as in part 1) we see that the only valuable women are virgins. The word "booty" has made a re-entry into popular discourse in recent years- I wonder if Beyonce would be so quick to promote her "Bootilicious"ness if she knew it was likening herself to being nothing more than something to barter with?
This is not the only time a woman is traded as a commodity in the bible:
". . . . And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; . . . And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed." (Judges 11:30-39). What better gift could you give someone, than your daughter? [note heavy sarcasm]
But if you happen to rape a virgin who was engaged to someone else, it seems this would ruin the value she had (and presumably what the family could gain from this commodity). So what's the solution for this- I know, she should be stoned to death!:
"If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of the city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you." (Deuteronomy 22:23-24)
Was it that no one was around to witness the cries, or that she was gagged, beaten or unable to cry out for other reasons? Doesn't matter, she's ruined now, just kill her... unless.. she's not engaged, in which case she should be forced to marry her rapist, for the appropriate price the family can gain:
"If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days." (Deuteronomy 22:28-29)
Interesting too, in the purchase of a woman (if not just giving them away) is what could be seen as an equal value item:
"Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife." (I Samuel 18:27).
Unless you run an eyelid transplant or skin grafting business, what the fuck would you want with 200 foreskins? 200 foreskins from the corpses of your enemies as well, rotting and fly-ridden no doubt. Are there any alternate references to a woman's worth? Of course- it's best to be clear, but in general, around half of what a man is worth:
"... And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. And if it be a female,then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels. And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver. And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels." (Leviticus 27:1-7)
If you are not worth 10 shekels or 200 foreskins though, and are an undesirable (I assume sexually active, or one with an opinion, are the huge crimes a woman would commit to fit in this category), then the bible says they should be publicly degraded and humiliated by being made to expose your genitals and having a skin condition inflicted as a punishment.
"Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover bare their secret parts." (Isaiah 3:16-17)
So in this part we've seen women traded as a possession, raped, killed for being raped, being worth half of what a man is or equivalent to a pile of rotting foreskins.
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