The Bible as a text contains a multitude of genres, stories, moral lessons, vivid imagery, and the basis for the Jewish and Christian faiths. Within this complex text, motherhood forms a central part of community life, represents a defining characteristic of women, and provides a metaphor for God's relationship with his people. Motherhood also acts as a source of maternal and birth imagery for describing the triumphs, difficulties, and developments of biblical figures and societies. Though these texts primarily center on the lives and perspectives of males, scholars and believers alike may find them instructive in understanding the lives of women living during these time period.