Joy A. Schroeder offers the first in-depth exploration of the biblical story of Deborah, an authoritative judge, prophet, and war leader. For centuries, Deborahs story has challenged readers traditional assumptions about the place of women in society. Schroeder shows how Deborahs story has fueled gender debates throughout history. An examination of the prophetesss journey through nearly two thousand years of Jewish and Christian interpretation reveals how the biblical account of Deborah was deployed against women, for women, and by women who aspired to leadership roles in religious communities and society. Numerous women-and men who supported womens aspirations to leadership-used Deborahs narrative to justify female claims to political and religious authority. Opponents to womens public leadership endeavored to define Deborahs role as private or argued that she was a divinely authorized exception, not to be emulated by future generations of women. Deborahs Daughters provides crucial new insight into the history of women in Judaism and Christianity, and into womens past and present roles in the church, synagogue, and society.