Writing the Wayward Wife: Rabbinic Interpretations of Sotah"Writing the Wayward Wife" is a study of rabbinic interpretations of sotah, the law concerning the woman suspected of adultery (Numbers 5: 11-31). The focus of the book is on interpretations of sotah in tannaitic and amoraic texts: the Mishnah, Tosefta, Midrash Halakhah, Midrash Aggadah, and the Palestinian and Babylonian Talmuds. The body of the work is in-depth analysis of the legal and ritual proceedings. Jewish Greek interpretations (Josephus, Philo, and LXX) also are addressed, along with the "Protevangelium of James," and fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls and Cairo Geniza. Finally, the disappearance of the ritual is discussed, with implications for the development of rabbinic authority. In previous secondary literature, the law of sotah has been understood as either proto-feminist or misogynist. This book argues that neither of these are appropriate paradigms. Rather, this book identifies the emergence of two major interpretive themes: the emphasis on legal procedures, and the condemnation of adultery. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Sotah Ritual in the Bible Issues in PostBiblical Interpretation | 16 |
The Beginning of Sotah | 33 |
Sotah and Jealousy in Rabbinic Literature | 46 |
1 | 70 |
19 | 81 |
32 | 88 |
40 | 95 |
Nature and Conditions of Jealousy | 104 |
Conclusions | 111 |
Oath and Curse | 126 |
321 | |
327 | |
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Common terms and phrases
adultery aggadic midrashim Akiva amen amoraic amoraim argues attributed Azzai Babylonian Talmud baraita belly Bible binic BT Sot Chapter Three cites commentary concerning context curse debate deferring punishment defiled Destro discussion dust Eleazar ben Azariah Eliezer explanation express jealousy guilt halakhic Halbertal Hauptman husband includes innocent issues jealous Jesus Jewish Josephus Judah kinnui m.Sot meal-offering measure-for-measure punishment merit suspending punishment midrash Midrash Tanhuma Mishnah Sotah mishnaic Numbers Rabbah oath oath/curse offering ordeal Palestinian Talmud passage Philo priest procedure question rabbinic interpretations rabbinic literature rabbinic texts redaction reference relation reward Satlow says scroll seems Septuagint setirah sexual Shimon Sifre Zutta sotah ritual sources statement suggests suspected wife t.Sot TanB Tanhuma tannaitic Targum teaching Temple theme thigh tion Torah Tosefta Tosefta Sotah tradition translation verse witnesses woman drink women Yohanan ben Zakkai אותה אלא אמן בה בן האשה היתה המים זכות לה לו רבי שלא תולה