Lanell writes:

<< The Red Tent by Anita Diamant is a fictional account of birth in biblical
times, based very closely on the bible.  >>


Lanell, I enjoyed this novel too, but I have to disagree that it is based
closely on the Bible.  It is based VERY LOOSELY on the bible.    Basically
Anita Diamant imagines that the men were monotheist and the women were
polytheist -- worshiped earth forces etc.   Makes a nice novel, with lots
about birth, midwifery, etc in it, but there just ain't nothing in the Bible
to suggest it (with the possible exception of Rachel stealing her father's
teraphim, but that's not at all clear what's going on there).

Recently in a synagogue I heard someone assert that Dina in the Bible was a
midwife.   This is straight out of The Red Tent, doesn't appear in the bible
or any other traditional source I know of.    It's like the religious
equivalent of Oliver Stone becoming the official historian of JFK, for sooth
---

Elisheva
who reads for a living

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