A “Queer” Mother of Nations: Reproductive Futurism and the Maccabean Mother of Seven

Abstract

Abstract This article explores the presentation of the Mother of Seven Sons in 2 and 4 Maccabees and her reception in some rabbinic literature. It uses as a framework queer theory, particularly Lee Edelman’s concept of reproductive futurism. Ultimately, it argues that the texts’ simultaneous emphasis on the Mother’s maternal body and her masculine behaviors constructs her as a queer figure. This queerness enables her to effectively resist the physical and cultural violence of the Roman imperial project.