Away from the Father's House: The Social Location of the Na'ar and Na'arah in Ancient Israel

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Building on the biblical narrative and on social world analysis, Leeb argues that the terms NA'AR and NA'ARAH refer to persons displaced from the father's house (BET 'AB), usually as a result of debt slavery. Hence, rather than working his father's land, and becoming in turn the head of his own household, the NA'AR, as a domestic or military servant, helps build the household of another. Less frequently, the weakness or absence of the father leads to the same, or a similar, predicament. Any woman venturing from her own household is also likely to acquire the status of a NA'ARAH. This is a novel and challenging study in ancient Israelite social structure.

Author Bio

Carolyn S. Leeb is Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Theology at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana, USA.