Pheroras’ Wife: A Pharisee Woman

In the Mishnah, the Rabbis make the following statement: [451]1. Pheroras’ wife is one of many Herodian women, some of whom have been discussed by scholars, myself among them, see Ilan, “Josephus and Nicolaus on Women”; reprinted in Tal Ilan, Integrating Women, 85–125 and bibliography there. See, relatively recently, Bar Kochva, “Doris”; Schwartz, “Malthace.” Much has beenwritten about Berenice, Herod’s great-granddaughter, including my new upcoming biography of her: Berenice: Princess of Judea (provisional title). The woman discussed here has been almost fully ignored, even by myself (but see my Integrating Women, 15–17; 23 and also very recently, Ilan, “Josephus’s Samias Source, ” 205– 06), despite the fact that she had a very interesting biography, and was instrumental in many important events of her day....