Evidence of Wealth Management and Financial Planning by Women in 2nd Century CE: Contracts from Dead Sea Caves

This research offers a glimpse into how a few women in the 2nd century CE managed and protected their financial resources to aid in securing their financial future. Our focus is on contractual actions taken by women or their families of this period. We explore contracts from the Babatha and Salome Komaise Archives found in the Dead Sea region to provide insight into how women were able to plan and secure their financial future while at the same time supporting their husbands. These texts provide us with an awareness of the nature of Jewish life around the Dead Sea in ancient times and how the financial future for women might have been safeguarded.