Who is the first woman entrepreneur in the world?

Answer 1

It is difficult to answer this question, since most historical documents from the old days were written by men, and tended to exclude what women did; further complicating the situation, in many societies, women were not even allowed to be educated, limiting their prospects if they wanted to enter a trade. That said, a few women were able to become apprentices; and in some cases, women took over a business after their husband died. But surprisingly, one of the earliest mentions of a woman doing business is found in The Bible. Even though the ancient world was very patriarchal, we have evidence there were some female entrepreneurs. One of the oldest mentions of a businesswoman is found in the book of Proverbs, chapter 31, verses 10-31. It is usually translated as "A woman of valor"-- but it is more accurately translated as "An accomplished woman."

In this series of verses, we are told about a woman who pays her staff, considers what business transactions she should make (it specifies that she buys a field and then uses it to plant a vineyard), is known for her honesty and ethics (she even takes time to help the poor), she makes clothing and sells it, etc. This woman (whose name we are not given) is admired by the people in her city and also admired by her husband. The fact that such a strong and positive portrayal of a businesswoman can be found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) tells us that even in a traditional society, more than 5,000 years ago, women were not only wives and mothers-- some were entrepreneurs.