I just got official word that my paper has been accepted for the Eastern Regional meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society on March 26 in Lancaster. I hope some of you can make it–ETS is always a lot of fun.

Title: “‘Your Mama Was a Hittite’: Torah Exegesis and the Matrilineal Principal in the Ezrahite Reforms.”

Abstract:

This paper will explore the apparent discrepancy between the text of Deu 21:10-14 and the matrilineal principle in Judaism as it manifested itself in the early post-exilic context. The expulsion of non-Jewish wives and children of Jewish men under Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s reforms is evidence of the development of the matrilineal principle during or prior to the exile. However, the Deuteronomic Code allows for the incorporation of non-Jewish captive wives into the Israelite community. This study will evaluate previously proposed explanations for this problem, and arrive at a provisional solution that will influence the interpretation of the post-exilic biblical texts as well as Second Temple literature.