TL

Mark wrote:”In the first link it actually supports the notion that kephale was understood as authority by Plato if you read the whole article and the commetss below. Suzanne actually say this “I personally believe that kephale may mean one of many things” and again “I see absolutely no reason to say that kephale must mean “authority,” or that it must mean “source.”. So this is evidence to show that it was understood as authority at least by Plato in this particular work. And this actually supports my own opinion which shows it had many meanings.”

In the first link Sue McCarthy wrote this regarding Plato:
”I personally believe that kephale may mean one of many things, all pointing to the fact that there ought to be unity between men and women, and mutual respect for real differences, (not imaginary ones) and essential and functional equality between the sexes.

I see absolutely no reason to say that kephale must mean “authority,” or that it must mean “source.” If people do not see the meaning of “authority over” in the relationship of husband and wife, they should still be respected as Bible believing Christians.

We should move on to deal with the harm that is done in the Christian community. If people are damaged by one person in the marriage controlling or commanding the other, then we should deal with that. If people are hurt by abandonment and adultery, then we should deal with that.”

We agree that kephale may mean many things. Where we disagree is that it may primarily mean authority. Making ‘head’ mean authority is an aberration and exceedingly unusual, although possible. We just haven’t found an absolute place to ground that claim in history. My best guess is that it was used to mean in front, topmost, preeminent more often than anything else in the OT.

McCarthy writes in another link:

”Would it surprise you to know that not even once is kephal? used in connection to any of the authority relationships which we believe God has ordained in the Hebrew scriptures?

Not once is the word kephal? used in the Septuagint or in ancient Greek literature preceding the Bible in the following expressions,
head of the nation
head of the people
head of the tribe
head of the family
head of the army

Instead, we find that the king of Egypt is head of the kings in his own family line, those who precede and follow him. Zeus is the beginning of all things, David is called the head of the Gentiles, the leaders of the tribes are called “heads” of staffs, and the kephal? is a raiding party in Job 1:17.