The Six Sexes in Judaism
I've gotten quite a few comments and questions regarding the sex recognized sex categories in Jewish tradition, so here's a standalone education post on the matter.
In fields such as anthropology and archaeology, we approach interpreting historical concepts and events in a multifacted approach. It's not enough to have one line of evidence, there must be multiple. Stating that, we know that the six sexes refer to sexes, and not gender, through many ways:
-Historical tradition. The tradition of the six sexes is unbroken and is understand to refer to sexes, and not genders. Rabbinical discussions throughout history refer to these terms as sexes.
-Linguisitics. The etymology of these words are very explicitly referencing genitals and/or sex characteristics, not gender roles or identities. These are technical terms regarding tangible observed biology, not gender, which is a more intangible concept.
-Historical context. The society in which these terms were recorded had very specific gender roles. Laws regarding purity and reproduction were very specific and valued, and were connected to the biology a person had. Therefore, words to categorize groups of people with certain biology were needed so that in discussing legal and social debates, universal terms could be used.
The six sexes are:
Zachar (זכר)- perisex male. Person born with external male genitalia and developing typical male secondary sex characteristics at puberty. "Zachar" most likely comes from the etymology of "pierce", as in, "penetration."
Nekeva (נקבה)- perisex female. Person born with female genitalia and developing typical female secondary sex characteristics at puberty. The root of the word "Nekeva" comes from the Hebrew word for "cavity", so you can see how it's very focused on tangible sex characteristics, not gender.
Aylonit (אילונית)- Person born with female genitalia but who either doesn't develop secondary female characteristics or fertility, such as one someone who never begins to ovulate or who was born without or with reduced internal reproductive organs, or who develops typically "male" characteristics at puberty such as those characterized by intersex conditions that cause hyperandroginism. An Aylonit is still categorized as a woman according to Jewish law, "Aylonit" is in fact as a feminine word, literally meaning "female ram", in reference to the development of typically "male" characteristics upon puberty. According to Midrash Sarah the Matriarch was an Aylonit herself because she was born without a uterus, and the miracle was that G-d planted a uterus inside her later in life.
Saris (סריס)- Person born with external male genitalia but who either doesn't develop secondary male sex characteristics at puberty, such as one whose testes never descend or whose penis doesn't develop further or who is naturally sterile, or who develops typically "female" characteristics such as gynecomastia. A Saris Chamah (סריס חמה) is one who was born a Saris, and a Saris Adam (סריס אדם) is one who was castrated by another person or themself. A "Saris" is also a word meaning "eunuch", which was an enslaved person who was castrated as a punishment or part of some religious ritual. A Saris, whether born that way or made into a eunuch, is still categorized as a man according to Jewish law.
Androgenos (אנדרוגינוס)- A person born with a combination of male and female genitalia and who develops a combination of male and female secondary sex characteristics. An Androgenos is commonly translated as a h*rmaphrodite (this is a slur used against intersex people, so I'll only use it once for clarity). An Androgenos is described as being able to both ejaculate and experience menses, and is subject to both the Jewish laws pertaining to men and the Jewish laws pertaining to women. The word "Androgenos" is borrowed from Greek. An Androgenos is functionally treated in their own gender category according to Jewish law, because they are subject to unique laws regarding their sex, although they typically are treated as men in society.
TumTum "טמטום"- A person who was born with indeterminate genitals and sex characteristics. The word "TumTum comes from the Hebrew word for "concealed", in reference to the indeterminate nature of their genitals. A TumTum's gender status according to Jewish law varies depending on the law and on the person. They can be treated as either a man, a woman, or both.
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These terms were extremely important and held a lot of weight for those in certain categories. Whether a person's body was determined to be that of a Saris or a TumTum, for example, would define what their gendered roles would be in society and whether they would be required to perform certain reproduction and purity based commandments. A Saris, for example, is determined to be still in the gender role of "Ish", a man, and would be classed as such. A TumTum, however, because of the observed characteristic of their body, would be in a much more difficult position of being exempt from certain gendered commandments, and obligated to do others. In a society valuing reproduction, a person's biological reality and how to classify them were extremely important.
What sex a person was classified as was extremely important in defining their ritual purity status. Whether someone's genital discharge was considered menstrual blood or ejaculate was dependent on their sex, and there are specific ritual purity laws for each. A person who discharges menstrual blood would have to wait seven days after the cessation of their menstruation and then bathe in a ritual bath before they'd be allowed to engage in sexual relations. A person who discharges ejaculate would only have to bathe in a ritual bath after the event to be allowed to engage in sexual relations.
In a culture very focused on reproduction and reproductive roles, defining someone's sex was extremely important.
These categories are extremely biology-based and medicalized. They are about someone's genitals and reproductive status, not their gender. Judaism at the time recognized the existence of cross-dressing and gender flexibility (even if it was frowned upon), and these categories have nothing to do with gender. The best way we know this is that it was forbidden to cross-dress, but the existence of intersex people was not considered forbidden (although they were subject to different laws depending on their category) because they cannot control how their body appears.
Nobody was having hormone therapy or sexual reassignment surgery in the ancient times. This is why there is no such thing as an "Aylonit Adam" (yes, you were lied too, if you thought this was a thing), because castration was something done in the ancient world, but hysterectomies certainly were not, at least not with any survival rate.
As a trans person myself, I do not even understand why perisex trans people would even want to identify with these terms. These are highly medicalized terms and refer to biology, not identity. They also do not change a person's gender assignment. An Aylonit is still in the gender of "Isha" (woman), so why a perisex trans man would want to identify with that category just because he's taken testosterone and/or gotten a hysterectomy is beyond me. A Saris is still in the gender of "Ish" (man), so I don't know why a perisex trans woman would want to identify with that category just because she's taken estrogen and/or gotten vaginoplasty. And TumTum and Androgenos are categories that are evident at birth. They refer to the state of a person's genitals at birth. Perisex nonbinary people are not intersex, they were assigned a specific sex of male or female depending on their genitals at birth. What their genitals look like in adulthood does not change their sex.
We all recognize that sex does not equal gender, so why is this misinformation still being spread that equates these sex-based terms to gender? That's going against everything trans and nonbinary liberation stands for!
Sources:
Mishnah Bikkurim 4:1-5
Mishnah Yevamot 8:4-6
Mishnah Niddah 3:5
Mishnah Zavim 2:1
Mishnah Torah: Marriage 2:5-25
Yevamot 64b:2
Yevamot 80b:4-10
Ketubot 11a:1
Mishnah Niddah 5:9
Zecher and Zachar
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