Abstract
This article seeks to explore the intriguing text of Numbers 27, in which the five daughters of Zelophehad challenge the judicial powers regarding the question of female inheritance (cf. also Num. 36). The daughters emerge as a symbol of the powerless standing up for what is right—the narrative serving as an example of where laws can be challenged and changed by the (divine) authorities in recognition of the needs of the disenfranchised. This study focuses on the complex hermeneutical issues involved in reading this narrative in the context of contesting points of view, including issues of gender, power and the right to land ownership. The proposal is made that the notion of human dignity may offer some important perspectives on this narrative, as well as the way it is used in contemporary context(s).
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