Religions· 2026Q1
Judah and Tamar, Genesis 38: Biblical Ethics in African Perspective
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- 2026year
Short summary
This paper analyzes the biblical story of Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38) through the lens of African perspectives on levirate marriage, also known as wife inheritance.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- The story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38 is analyzed in relation to levirate marriage laws in the Hebrew Bible.
- African customs of wife inheritance are compared with biblical levirate marriage, revealing shared issues and values.
- The paper explores the hermeneutics of Torah concerning levirate marriage, noting apparent contradictions in Leviticus.
- It discusses the evolution of African traditional culture under colonial, Christian, and modern social pressures.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
The story of Judah and Tamar, Genesis 38, revolves around levirate marriage. Levirate marriage law, echoed in Ruth 4, is laid out in Deut 25:5–10. Both Lev 18:16 and 20:21 clearly refer to it, but seem to proscribe it, raising the issue of the hermeneutics of Torah. Parts of Africa observe the custom of levirate marriage, in some places referred to as wife inheritance. The texts of the Hebrew Bible and the relevant culture in Africa are analyzed for the issues and values under negotiation. It is shown how Judaism wrestles with them and how African traditional culture evolves in the face of currents of change induced by colonialism, modern social conditions, and Christianity.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Religions, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Religious studies
Religious studiesArts and Humanities