Whether or not one has personally experienced it, sexual assault it a difficult topic to discuss. Because of the way in which it approaches the subject through a lesser known yet impactful Biblical story, The Cry of Tamar is a thoroughly interesting and important book. While I found that the scholarly tone of the writing contributed to making it somewhat of a less captivating read than it may have otherwise been, Pamela Cooper-White’s message about violence against women is extremely valuable. Having not read the entire Hebrew Bible before, I was not familiar with the story of Tamar prior to the start of this course. Clearly, Tamar’s rape at the hands of her brother Amnon is not the only example of rape in the Bible, however Tamar’s story serves…show more content… I have not even remotely come close to experiencing what she had, but reading The Cry of Tamar has given me incredibly valuable insight into her experience, and a greater appreciation for the difficulties women live with even today. Sexual abuse and violence towards women are hardly relics of the past, relegated to ancient documents like the Hebrew Bible, and as Cooper-White points out, Tamar’s experience is sadly still modern (29), and elements of her story would be familiar to many women even today (being assaulted in her own home, by someone she knew, being told to keep quiet about it when she sought help). I know women who have gone through similar experiences, and it disturbs me greatly to know that despite all the progress made over the centuries since Tamar lived, women still live in fear of sexual assault. Of course, men can be victims of rape and assault as well, but I am reminded often that I will not likely have to worry about someone refusing to take “no” for an answer and assaulting me, then casting me aside in disgust the way Amnon did. I am thankful that we no longer live in the sort of patriarchal society depicted in the Hebrew Bible, but we still have much work to do in order to achieve real gender equality. The Cry of Tamar begins a crucial dialogue which goes a long way towards this goal. I am glad to have
