Foreign Women - Women in Foreign Lands: Studies on Foreignne...

This scholarly article analyzes the symbolic portrayal of Jerusalem in a biblical prophetic text, where the city is depicted as an unfaithful wife who transforms into a domineering figure in a brothel. The study explores the multifaceted implications of the term "strange" as applied to Jerusalem, suggesting it denotes both foreign origin and estrangement from her divine spouse. The narrative describes a reversal of expected maternal roles, with Jerusalem engaging in acts that subvert traditional values, such as sacrificing her children and inverting typical economic transactions associated with prostitution. The article posits that these inversions mirror the radical value reversals found in the cultic practices of the Mesopotamian goddess Ištar, which the prophet and his contemporaries may have witnessed during the Babylonian exile. By drawing parallels between these cultural elements, the study offers a nuanced interpretation of the text's metaphorical language, emphasizing the consequences of religious infidelity and the perversion of societal norms.