Society viewed the Hebrew woman almost exclusively as a wife and mother. What else could she do if she wasn't educated, didn't own a business, serve as some kind of leader, or was kept down by lack of resources. Still, there were exceptions in the ancient world of the Hebrews. Deborah, for example, was a wife and a prophetess, but served, in the tradition established by Moses, as a judge of the Israelites. She was intelligent, compassionate, and insightful. She united her people, raised a small army, and (with the help of Barak, a military man) drove out the infidels who had been relentlessly attacking the Hebrews. After all of that, she proved to be a talented singer, composing a victory song over the defeat of Sisera, the enemy of her people, and giving credit to another woman, the tent-dweller Jael.

Judith is an example of another exceptional woman who made a significant contribution to her people. Unlike many widows whose husbands had passed on, Judith was wealthy. She remained pious and virtuous, but wanted to do something to help the Jews. She devised a plan to kill the nemesis of the Hebrews, a general in the Assyrian army whose name was Holofernes. Her plan worked flawlessly, enabling Judith to cut off the head of Holofernes with his own sword as he lay in a drunken stupor.