My dissertation investigates the narrative found in Genesis 34, focusing on the character of Dinah. It will begin with the discussion of her first action of “going out” and continue by showing how this assertion of agency receives double condemnation by patriarchy: first by the societal structures/ male authority figures as represented by the authors of the text, and second, by a patriarchally shaped history of tradition /reception.

Moreover, in 19th century America, Dinah became the generic name for an enslaved Black woman. How did Dinah become a slang term for enslaved women and, by extension, any woman of African descent? This question has been widely overlooked by scholars of the Hebrew Bible as well as modern American historians. Exploring themes of subordination, sexual violence, and oppressive hegemonic systems such as patriarchy and White supremacy, my dissertation attempts to make connections between the biblical Dinah in the Dinah of antebellum America. Traditionally, scholars have argued that Dinah’s encounter with Shechem was an incident of sexual assault and justified genocide of the men in Shechem. My reading of Genesis 34 acknowledges that Dinah’s agency is stripped away by the men surrounding her and attempts to understand her story independent of them, by resisting traditional views of women engaged in sexual activity outside of marriage.

The Dinah of Genesis 34 maintains perpetual existence in the liminal role of a daughter; she never becomes a wife or a mother. This can be linked to the perpetual marginalized status of Black women. Yet, there is another layer of meaning that can also be deduced. Both the Dinah of Genesis 34 and the Dinah of antebellum America are women that are engaged in sexual activity whether willingly or not. Regardless of their consent, or lack thereof, they are marked by sexuality while simultaneously lacking in sexual agency.