The sanctification of the queer body: genderfluidity as an expression of holiness in 2 Samuel 6

Doughty, Sage Ferraro (2023). The sanctification of the queer body: genderfluidity as an expression of holiness in 2 Samuel 6. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis argues that David’s second procession before Hashem’s ark in 2 Samuel 6 is profoundly genderqueer and inescapably tied to the king’s social standing. Previous scholarship has often justified David’s actions in this episode as cultically appropriate but often underestimates the inconsistencies in ritual standards or the implications of David’s performance. 2 Samuel 6 appears to have been completely overlooked by biblical masculinity studies and is the subject of only limited research in queer biblical studies, which has not fully explored David’s transgressive/expansive gender performativity.

Consequently, I look to address this gap in scholarship using queer theory, masculinity studies, and anthropology. Gender expansive and transgressive individuals are well documented in ancient Levantine and Mesopotamian cultic ritual with their existence providing an implicit affirmation of binary gender, particularly hegemonic masculinity, since they tend to perform liminality within strict boundaries, on the behalf of hegemony. This thesis argues that David’s dress and dance function similarly, as the only appropriate religious response to Hashem’s hyper-masculinity – there can be no competition between the king of Israel and the king of the universe. David’s gender performativity shifts from masculine coded to both masculine and feminine coded after the murder of Uzzah, a change to which Hashem responds favourably, reinforcing the cultic suitability of David’s genderfluid performativity. The narrator uses Michal’s criticism to voice their unease and to place boundaries around David’s actions, regulating their disruptive effects, and reinforcing its cultic necessity and divine approval.

This reading has significant implications both for depictions of David as a hegemonic masculine archetype and for future trans/queer readings of cultic performativity since it establishes a set of criteria through which even hegemonic men may perform genderfluidity while in proximity to Hashem, with Hashem’s full approval, a possibility that has often been dismissed as unlikely.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):