Diamant uses the first part of The Red Tent, which
recounts the memories of Dinah’s mothers,to flesh
out the stories of several biblical women. Dinah’s brief but bloody
story in the Bible, often referred to as “The Rape of Dinah,” is
a one-sided narrative, since Dinah herself never speaks. While the
Bible includes ample description of Jacob and his sons, little is
known about his wives and their stories. Leah and Rachel, considered
his two most important wives, become fully realized characters in
the first few chapters, with their shared husband creating an obvious
strain on their relationship. The day-to-day lives of the different
classes of women living in ancient Iraq, Syria, and Israel are omitted
from the Bible, and after embarking on a tremendous amount of research,
Diamant attempts to present clearer pictures of their reality. Diamant
skillfully create a tangible picture of the life of women in biblical
times, weaving in voices of slaves (Werenro), midwives (Inna, Meryt),
queens (Re-nefer,) and abused wives (Ruti).
