Hello
Different literary sources give us an insight into the daily life of
women in the times of Jesus. The Gospels are still the most often
quoted documents, and Jewish sources, particularly the historian
Josephus Flavius as well as the "Mishna" (the commentary on the Jewish
Laws published in the 2nd Century AD in Tiberias by Rabbi Judah the
Prince) are full of details regarding daily life in the times of
Jesus.
To these literary sources, we can add new archaeological discoveries.
The cities of Sepphoris, Magdala, Capharnaum, and the villages of
Nazareth and Cana have all been the subject of recent archaeological
digs, and have yielded much data on daily life.
Here is a long abstract from "Everyday Life in the Time of Jesus" by
Fr. Frederick. Manns, O.F.M
Professor at Franciscan Biblicum Studium - Jerusalem
(http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/mag/TSmgenB3.html )
"To the young girls was given the duty of feeding and dressing their
father, of helping him when going out or returning when they are old,
of washing their face and feet. Nevertheless, from the point of view
of succession, boys came before the girls. Near the age of 12 and one
half, a girl did not have the right to refuse a marriage decided by
her father. Marriage was arranged by her parents. Since the young girl
worked at home, her departure from it demanded an economic
compensation……It was quite common to be engaged to a relative.
Inter-marriage among Tribe members was common. The priests had the
custom of choosing their wives from priestly families.
The fiancee had to feed, lodge, and clothe his fiancee (and) if the
fiancee died, the fiancee was considered his widow. Certainly, during
the time of betrothal, no intimate relationship was permitted.
Betrothals were usually done by offering the gift of an engagement
present to the fiancee.
The woman was to look after her husband. The husband had to provide
food, clothing and lodging and fulfil the conjugal duties. Besides
this, he had to buy back his wife if she were ever captured. He had to
get medicine if she fell sick, and a tomb for her burial. Even the
very poor was obliged to procure two flute players and one who wailed
for the funeral.
The woman had to obey her husband, mill the grain, cook, wash, make
the meals, nurse the infants, work the wool, and, in some cases, wash
the face and feet of her husband. Polygamy was permitted. After 10
years of married life without child, the husband was permitted to take
another woman. The right of divorce was exclusively on the side of the
husband.
Women had to veil themselves when going outside, so that no one could
recognize their face. In the countryside, they were able to take water
at the fountain. Women worked in the fields, and sold olives by the
door. However, a woman was never allowed to go to the fields alone."
..o0o..
A specific site on Mary, while possibly not scientifically accurate,
gives a nice flavour of what life must have been like:
"Mary was a woman of rural Galilee. She lived as they did, in a small
family house of stone and mud-brick. She worked like any young girl,
grinding wheat and barley into flour, preparing dishes of beans,
vegetables, eggs, fruits, nuts, and occasional chunks of mutton. Wool
had to be made into clothing. Bread had to be baked. A few chickens
and a donkey had to be fed. And in the village, small as it was, there
were always little children to care for. "
"Almost daily she carried a large jar of water from the town well for
washing and cooking (the well still supplies modern Nazareth today and
is called "Mary's Well"). Early on, the Jews found that cleanliness
prevented disease, so frequent washing -- an important chore of women
-- became part of their religious practice. The well also was a
favorite spot where women talked and traded bits of everyday news. "
"Just as for the other women of Nazareth, the seasons and times of
harvest determined what Mary had to do. With the first downpour of
rain in October, the vital wheat crop was sown on the mountain fields,
to be gathered -- if all went well -- in May. Small dark olives,
knocked from dull green trees in September, had to be pressed into oil
for lamps and food. In May or June, early figs were picked; in July,
the softer juicy fruit. Grapes and pomegranates ripened in September
and October. God blessed the hills of Galilee with his bounty, but it
could never be taken for granted. The unpredictable land could just as
well give nothing to those working it.
From Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Her Daily Life
( http://www.cptryon.org/compassion/mary/mother02.html )
..o0o..
Some commentators are not so sure that a women’s life was anything
other than hard and downtrodden. Here’s a quote from First Century
Context of Palestine (Israel)
(http://www.jesus-institute.org/jesus-history/jesus-firstcenturycontext.shtml
)
"The woman’s daily job included preparing food for her family – for
example, they would grind grain, bake bread, milk the animals, and
make cheese. Typically a family ate two meals: Breakfast – light or
small amounts of food taken to work; and Dinner – A large meal with
cheese, wine, vegetables and fruits, and eggs. As for meat, fish was
most common, followed by chicken or fowl. Red meat (beef and lamb)
served only on special occasions, and pork and crustaceans were
absolutely forbidden.
Most foods were boiled or stewed in a big pot and seasoned with salt,
onions, garlic, cumin, coriander, mint, dill, and mustard. Food was
sweetened with wild honey or syrups from dates or grapes. Food was
generally served in a common bowl and eaten by dipping in with the
fingers ……women were considered second-class citizens, akin to slaves.
The fact that they are mentioned as avid followers of Jesus is unusual
– both that they would be allowed to follow him with his disciples,
and unusual that the authors of Jesus’ biographies would mention their
presence at all "
Hope that answers your question.
Willie-ga
There’s a nice article on "Daily Life in Ancient Israel" here:
PetersNet Document Database from Trinity Communications
http://www.petersnet.net/browse/1356.htm
You’ll find a run-down of the role of women in Judaism here:
Judaism 101: "The Role of Women "
( http://www.jewfaq.org/women.htm )
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