Machine generated contents note: 1.Introduction -- 2.Heroines by choice or by chance: martyrs, converts, and anusot (forced converts) -- 3.Four differing paradigms of male attitudes to women -- 4.The family unit and the change in women's status -- 5.Marital relations, power, and social standing -- 6.Women and the mitzvot -- 7.Cases of some prominent Jewish women -- 8.In conclusion -- Appendices -- 1.Translated samples of the original source material -- 2.The main scholars referred to.