Bad Girls of the Bible: The Good Book’s Most Notorious Women

And who is the Whore of Babylon anyway?

Woodcut of “The Whore of Babylon” by Hans Burgkmair the Elder, 1523 (public domain)

The Bible has its good guys and its bad guys, but it’s the wicked women who consistently attract top billing. Here is a list of some of the most notorious ones.

NOTE: Since inserting words like “supposedly” and “myth” may upset some people, for purposes of this story, I’m going to treat this information as the “gospel truth.” Believe whatever you like. Did these gals get a bad rap? Maybe, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Eve

“The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” — The Book of Genesis 3:3–4

“Adam and Eve” by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1526 (public domain)

Everybody knows Eve, the first woman who God fashions from the rib of the first man, Adam. Adam and Eve have a sweet deal in the Garden of Eden, but Eve blows it. According to the Good Book, we have her to thank for the world’s woes, including pain during childbirth. Thanks a lot, Eve!