Mahlah

Mahlah is a figure in the Hebrew Bible known as one of the five daughters of Zelophehad, a member of the tribe of Manasseh. The others named with her are Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, and their story appears in the Book of Numbers.

After Zelophehad died in the wilderness without a male heir, Mahlah and her sisters petition Moses to grant them an inheritance of their father's property so that his name would not be lost to their clan. Moses presents the petition to God, and the Lord directs that Zelophehad's daughters shall indeed inherit among the people, with their father's inheritance allotted to them as if they were sons. The land is to be given to them and kept within their father's tribe.

These events are widely viewed as establishing a precedent for female inheritance rights in ancient Israel when there are no sons. The case contributes to later legal developments, including rules in Numbers 36 intended to ensure that inherited land remains within the appropriate tribe by requiring daughters who inherit to marry within their father's tribe.

Mahlah’s brief appearance has made her a reference point in discussions of women's property rights and early legal reforms in biblical studies. The name Mahlah is Hebrew, and in the biblical text she is identified primarily by this act of petition; little else is known about her personal life.

References: Numbers 27:1-11; Numbers 36:1-12.