The title gebîrâ in the Hebrew Bible has been
discussed in terms of a cultic role, a political role, and as a title accorded to
royal women who influenced the politics of Israel and Judah through their strong
personalities. This article reviews the ancient Near Eastern documents that refer to
the political influence of the queen or queen mother in the royal court. It then
reviews documentation from the households of the royal family of the Ottoman Empire
as a means of further supporting the argument that the title
gebîrâ in the Hebrew Bible refers to a woman
who is fulfilling a particular role in the polygynous royal harem. With the role of
the gebîrâ defined, it is then argued that
in 1 Kings 1-2, Bat-Sheba fulfills the role of the ancient Near Eastern gebîrâ.
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