Episode 5. The rape of Tamar (2 Samuel 13)

Bible Society #SheToo

In a world which – then as now – frequently divides women into Madonnas or whores, Tamar is the ‘perfect’ rape victim; virginal, beautiful, obedient. Her rape takes place within the Royal Household of King David. Tamar, David’s daughter, is raped by her half-brother Amnon. For the writer the rape is set in the larger context of the falling apart of the Royal family. Dr Johanna Stiebert wants to attend to the voice of Tamar as she resists her abuse and expresses its devastating consequences for her.