REVIEW: Structures of Power: Law and Gender across the Ancient Near East and Beyond

Abstract

The last two decades have seen considerable advances in the holistic study of ancient Near Eastern law, spearheaded principally by works like the wide-ranging volumes written or edited by the late Raymond Westbrook. Equally, there has been much progress in our understanding of gender across the ancient Near East, as shown, for instance, by the compendium of papers edited by Simo Parpola and Robert Whiting or the thorough diachronic treatment of the topic by Diane Bolger. However, what has been lacking until now is a major publication combining these two rapidly advancing areas of research, despite the obvious potential and need for such an endeavor, given the clear significance of gender matters in the legal sphere. This volume, while not without limitations, goes a long way towards filling this gap and moreover also provides useful comparanda beyond the Near East. Its editor and authorial team deserve great commendation for doing so.