Mothers, Hunger, and Siege: The Reversal of Maternal Provision in 2 Kings 6 and Lamentations

This paper argues that depictions of maternal cannibalism in the Hebrew Bible (2 Kings 6 and Lamentations) intentionally invert the usual maternal role as provider and nourisher. In contexts where women were typically responsible for food processing and preparation, siege-induced famine tragically reverses the maternal task of feeding children. These texts therefore portray starvation not only as physical suffering but also as the catastrophic collapse of maternal roles. The paper combines three data sets. First, it examines ANE siege warfare and its deliberate use of starvation as a weapon. Second, it explores modern cognitive and sociological research on starvation to understand how prolonged hunger affects moral judgment and maternal behavior. Lastly, it analyzes the siege scenes in 2 Kings 6:24–31 and Lamentations 2:20 and 4:10. Taken together, these perspectives demonstrate how the Hebrew Bible depicts famine as a devastating collapse of maternal provision and human dignity.