Tamar says #MeToo: Reading Genesis 38 through the lens of gender justice

Abstract

The Genesis 38 story of Judah’s engagement with his daughter-in-law Tamar, who had disguised herself as a common prostitute (zonah), speaks to the opaque nature of patriarchal oppression of women throughout the ages, an oppression that often leads to sexual harassment, abuse, and violence. Women often suffer silently through the indignities of these violations in order to achieve personal and professional goals that lead to the establishment and sustainability of jobs, careers, and stable environments for their children. The story of Tamar’s brave, strategic action combined with Judah’s confession of wrongdoing speaks into the twenty-first century’s international struggle for gender justice as evidenced by the #MeToo movement.