John Trigilio & Kenneth Brighenti 
Women in the Bible For Dummies 

Comprehensive interfaith coverage of the important female
figures

This friendly, approachable guide introduces readers to the famous
and infamous women of Scripture, describing in everyday language
the contributions these women made in their time and ours. From
Eve, Sarah, and Esther to Mary and Mary Magdalene, it discusses
well-known women of both the Old and New Testaments, examining
their role in Biblical narratives, their place in the Jewish and
Christian faiths, and the lessons their stories impart to women
today.

Table of Content

Introduction 1

Part I: Connecting with the Women of Ancient History 7

Chapter 1: Women of the Bible at a Glance 9

Chapter 2: Bible Basics: Delving into History, Context, and Translation 17

Chapter 3: Discerning the Roles of Women 39

Chapter 4: Judges, Prophetesses, and One Smart Lady 51

Part II: The Big Six: The Most Famous Women of the Bible 59

Chapter 5: And Then There Was Woman: Eve 61

Chapter 6: A Famous Mom: Mary, the Mother of Jesus 73

Chapter 7: Befriending Jesus: Mary Magdalene 91

Chapter 8: Three Women, Three Books: Ruth, Judith, and Esther 103

Part III: Influencing Lives, Shaping History: Women of Faith and Power 117

Chapter 9: Generating a Dynasty: The Matriarchs 119

Chapter 10: Spawning a Kingdom: Women of the Hebrew Nation 137

Chapter 11: Staying Faithful through Adversity 151

Chapter 12: Ruling (and Royal) Women of the Bible 165

Chapter 13: Getting to Know the Gals of the Gospel 175

Chapter 14: Church Ladies: Women of the New Testament 189

Part IV: Women of Public Debate . . . or Disdain 199

Chapter 15: Hiding in Obscurity: Important Yet Overlooked Women 201

Chapter 16: Getting Wise to the Connivers: Biblical Femme Fatales 211

Chapter 17: Causing Controversy: Intriguing Biblical Women 225

Part V: The Nameless: Wives, Mothers, Daughters, and Widows 233

Chapter 18: Walking the Walk: The Wives 235

Chapter 19: Mothering Worth Mentioning 245

Chapter 20: Darling Daughters of the Bible 251

Chapter 21:Widows and Other Women without Names 261

Part VI: The Part of Tens 275

Chapter 22: Ten Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible 277

Chapter 23: Ten Most Famous Women of the Bible in Art 289

Chapter 24: Ten Most Influential Women of the Bible 305

Appendix: Alphabetical List of Women in the Bible 315

Index 323

About the author

Rev. John Trigilio, Jr., Ph D, Th D, is Executive Editor of Sapienta magazine. Rev. Kenneth Brighenti, Ph D, is the co-host with Father
Trigilio of Council of Faith on EWTN, the Eternal Word Television Network.