Feminizm i nowy feminizm w kulturze starożytnego Izraela? Księga Judyty
Feminism and new feminism in the culture of Ancient Israel? The Book of Judith

Summary/Abstract: The article aims at showing that the role of a woman in both the ancient Israelite community andthe biblical text — the Book of Judith — was essential. As Carol Meyers, a feminist scholar, and WaldemarChrostowski, a Catholic theologian, claim, this role was crucial in social, economic and religious life. Thus, it maybe indicated that in both discourses one may find some common ground. While searching for some feministelements in everyday life of the ancient Israel and the Bible, one should bear in mind the inadequacy of thecontemporary feminist terms to describe ancient Israelite women's lives. Nevertheless, it is worth consideringwhether the definition of feminism would be rational in the ancient Israelite society if it had been knownin those times. Taking into account the definition of feminism as a social movement developed by KazmierzŚlęczka, the author concludes that the discrimination of women did not take place in those times. At the sametime, she notices that by using the contemporary language, the heroine of the Book of Judith may represent theassumptions of new feminism as postulated by John Paul the Second.

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