There Is a Tide in the Affairs of Women: The Biology of Menstruation in Levitical (and Israelite) Thought

Abstract:This article examines the Levitical/priestly understanding of the biology of menstruation. In particular, it examines the Levitical/priestly legists' typology of vaginal discharging, as well as their understanding of the length of normally occurring menstrual cycles, the anatomy and physiology of vaginal discharging, the homologous relationship between the womb and the primeval world, the biological process that took place during the seven-day span of the menstrual state, and menarche and menopause. It is possible that some or all of what is presented here as the Levitical/priestly understanding of the biology of menstruation was the understanding of the Israelites in general.