Julia Olson, “Undoing Masculinity: The ‘Woman as Humiliator’ in the Book of Judges,” February 16 at 6 PM EST, register at: http://tiny.utk.edu/olson27

Julia Olson is currently serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Judaic Studies at the University of Cincinnati. She received her Ph.D. in Judaic, Hebraic, and Cognate Studies from Hebrew Union College in May of 2025. Her research examines the ideology of subordination that affects female characters throughout the Hebrew Bible and the ways that it influences biblical interpretation. Prior to her work at UC, she held teaching fellowships at Xavier University and the University of Dayton where she taught courses on biblical interpretation and Hebrew language as well as the history and archaeology of the ancient Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.

Almost every male character in the book of Judges is deeply flawed, experiencing both military and personal failures which are typically brought about by a woman. By intertwining anthropologist Maurice Bloch’s theories of language formalization and the subordination of women, I seek to highlight a formalized character in the book of Judges, the “woman as humiliator.” Despite her varied appearances and methods of humiliation, her function is consistent throughout the book. Because it is her only function, she is significantly underdeveloped in every other way. I will argue that author of Judges employs a critique of war and violence by using this formalized woman to humiliate traditional masculine leadership.