Conclusion

This section considers why ancient communities in crisis deemed sorrowing motherhood as a potent agent in bringing about their preservation. It suggests, for example, that since child loss creates existential limbo for the bereft mother, it can unlock a unique capacity in her for incessant supplications and intercessions. Thus, when groups and individuals were at their most vulnerable, the perpetual destabilization of a bereft mother and the ability to intercede as its outcome were the go-to social tools. Additionally, it considers the ability of mourning rites to transgress normal social expectations and defy class differences. Consequently, within a ritual context bereft mothers could voice uncensored perspectives on personal and collective suffering and on the persons responsible for it. Finally, since Israel used family-based metaphors for its various social structures, it was only natural to appeal to maternal agency, with its emphasis on care and protection, in times of crises.