Re-covering the Daughter's Nakedness: A Formal Analysis of Israelite Kinship Terminology and the Internal Logic of Leviticus 18

149 Pages·2007·7.854 MB·English

by  Madeline Gay McClenney-Sadler

RECOVERING
THE DAUGHTER’S
NAKEDNESS
A FORMAL ANALYSIS OF ISRAELITE
KINSHIP TERMINOLOGY AND THE
INTERNAL LOGIC OF LEVITICUS 18
MADELINE GAY MCCLENNEY-SADLER
LIBRAsRY OF HEBREW BIBLE/
OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES
476
Formerly Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series
Editors
Claudia V. Camp, Texas Christian University
Andrew Mein, Westcott House, Cambridge
Founding Editors
David J. A. Clines, Philip R. Davies and David M. Gunn
Editorial Board
Richard J. Coggins, Alan Cooper, John Goldingay, Robert P. Gordon,
Norman K. Gottwald, Gina Hens-Piazza, John Jarick, Andrew D. H. Mayes,
Carol Meyers, Patrick D. Miller, Yvonne Sherwood

RECOVERING THE DAUGHTER'S
NAKEDNESS
A Formal Analysis of Israelite Kinship Terminology
and the Internal Logic of Leviticus 18
Madeline Gay McClenney-Sadler
t&tclark
NEW YORK • LONDON
Copyright O 2007 by Madeline Gay McClenney-Sadler
All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher, T & T Clark
International.
T & T Clark International, 80 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038
T & T Clark International, The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX
T & T Clark International is a Continuum imprint
library of Congress Cataloging-in-Poblkatlon Data
McClenney-Sadler, Madeline Gay.
Re-covering the daughter's nakedness: a formal analysis of Israelite kinship
terminology and the internal logic of Leviticus 18 / Madeline Gay McClenney-Sadler.
p. cm. ~ (The library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies; #476)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
EEISBN 9780567026767
1. Kinship-Biblical teaching. 2. Bible. O.T. Leviticus-Criticism, interpretation, etc.
L Title. H. Series.
BS1255.6.F32M33 2007
222M3067-dc22
2007016880
To
My slave ancestors
My family
&
Ancestors and kin who transitioned along the way:
Dr. Earl H. McClenney Sr.
Greta Gay Jones Moore
Thelma McClenney Taylor
Carrie Alice White
Cleveland Wood
Mary WatHns Wood
Eddie Graham
Essie Covington
Richmond Public Schools
Howard University
Professors Gene Rice, Alice Bellis, Michael Newheart and Cain Felder
Abigail &Pam
Incest survivors everywhere

CONTENTS
List of Figures, Charts and Tables ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Genealogical Abbreviations xvi
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION 1
Chapter 2
METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS 6
Cross-Cultural Methodology in
Historical and Contemporary Perspective 6
Interdisciplinary Methodology 10
Chapter 3
ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES
TO UNDERSTANDING INCEST PROHIBITIONS 16
The Incest Prohibition 16
The Psychoanalytic/Instinctive Approach 16
The Sociobiological Approach 21
The Sociological/Cultural Approach 23
Chapter 4
A FORMAL ANALYSIS OF ANCIENT ISRAEL'S KINSHIP
TERMINOLOGY 26
Kinship Systems 26
Kinship Terminology in Ancient Israel 31
Chapters
PREFERRED MARRIAGE, POST-MARITAL RESIDENCE
AND DESCENT IN ANCIENT ISRAEL 53
Preferred Forms of Marriage 53
Rules of Residence and Descent 64
Reconstructing the Kinship System of Ancient Israel 72
viii Recovering the Daughter's Nakedness
Chapter 6
INCEST IN LEVITICUS 18 AND THE PENTATEUCHAL NARRATIVES:
A SOCIO-STRUCTURAL READING 76
Re-Reading Leviticus 76
The Internal Logic of Leviticus 18 87
Incest in Narratives 92
Chapter 7
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: ISRAELITE KINSHIP
AND THE INTERNAL LOGIC OF LEVITICUS 18 103
Israel's Kinship System 103
Purpose and Function of Ancient Israelite Incest
Prohibitions 109
Bibliography 111
Index of References 127
Index of Authors 130
LIST OF FIGURES, CHARTS AND TABLES
Figures
1. Eskimo Kinship 27
2. Iroquois Kinship 28
3. Hawaiian/Generational Kinship 28
4. Crow Kinship 29
5. Omaha Kinship 29
6. Sudanese Kinship 30
7. Terah's Family Tree 56
Charts
1. Hebrew Kinship: Partial Reconstruction 38
2. Hebrew Kinship: Full Reconstruction 75
Tables
1. Hebrew-English Equivalencies 41