Drunkenness, Prostitution and Immodest Appearances in Hebrew
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Drunkenness, Prostitution and Immodest Appearances in Hebrew Biblical Narrative, Second Temple Writings and Early Rabbinic Literature: A Literary and Rhetorical Study Rabbi Eli Kohn: Student Number 2004 195323 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Afroasiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice Faculty of the Humanities of the University of the Free State Supervisor: Professor Y. Gitai Co-Supervisor: Professor P. J. Nel Bloemfontein Date of Submission: May 2006 Table of Contents Acknowledgments 6 Introduction 7 Chapter 1: The Literary and Rhetorical 15 Portrayal of Drunkenness in Specific Biblical Stories 1.1 The Story of Noah's Drunkenness - Genesis 9:18-29 16 1.1.1 The Ancient Near Eastern Literary Background 18 1.1.2 The Story of Noah's Drunkenness in the Context of 20 Genesis 1-11 1.1.3 The Literary and Linguistic Structure of the 20 Narrative as a Whole 1.1.4 Exegesis on verses 9:18-29 25 1.2 The Story of Sodom, Lot and His Two Daughters - 43 Genesis 19:1-38 1.2.1 Literary Setting of the Lot's Daughters Text 46 1.2.2 Parallels and Differences Between the Noah 48 Drunkenness Story and the Lot's Daughters' Narrative 1.2.3 Literary Structure and Style of the Lot's Daughters' 52 Text 1.2.4 Commentary on the Lot's Daughters' Text 52 1.2.5 Summary of the Lot's Daughters' Narrative 60 Chapter 2: The Literary and Rhetorical 62 Portrayal of Drunkenness in the Genesis 9:18 - 29 and Genesis 19:31-38 Biblical Stories in the Second Temple and Early Rabbinic Periods 2.1 Introduction to the Methodology of Ancient Biblical 62 Interpretation 2.2 Jubilees 65 2.2.1 Jubilees - Chapter 7 67 2.3 Genesis Apocryphon 69 2.4 Josephus - Antiquities Book 1:140-42 71 2 2.5 Philo Questions and Answers on Genesis and Exodus 72 Book II, 68 2.6 III Baruch IV. 9-13 75 2.7 Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Genesis 9:18-27 77 2.8 Targum Neofiti 1 Genesis 9:18-27 83 2.9 Understanding the Literary Approach of the Midrash 85 2.10 Genesis Rabba on 9:18-27 90 2.10.1 Some Comments on the Literary Structure of 92 Midrash Rabba 9:18-27 and its Exegesis of the Midrash 93 ג Paragraph 2.10.2 of the Midrash 99 ד Paragraph 2.10.3 of the Midrash 104 ה,ו,ז,ח Paragraphs 2.10.4 2.10.5 The Connection between Rashi's Commentary and 105 that of the Midrash Rabba 2.10.6 Summary of the Exegesis of the Midrash Rabba on 108 the Noah Drunkenness Story 2.11 Midrash Tanhuma 9:18-27 109 2.12 Midrash Rabati 9:18-27 114 2.13 Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 70a-b 115 2.14 Summary of the Ancient Interpretation of the Noah 118 Drunkenness Story 2.15 Lot's Daughters in Jubilees 19:30-38 121 2.16 Philo 19:30-38 122 2.17 Josephus 19:30-38 124 2.18 Targum Pseudo-Jonathan 19:30-38 126 2.19 Genesis Rabba 19:30-38 128 2.20 Pesiqta Rabati 19:30-38 137 2.21 Babylonian Talmud Baba Kama 38b 139 2.22 Conclusion of the Second Temple and Early 139 Rabbinic Exegesis of the Lot's Daughters' Story 3 Chapter 3: The Literary and Rhetorical 143 Portrayal of Prostitution in Genesis 38:1-30- The Story of Judah and Tamar 3.1 The Context of the Judah and Tamar Narrative 144 3.2 Verbal and Thematic Links between Genesis 38 and 145 its Immediate Narrative Context 3.3 Thematic Links between Genesis 38 and the Lot's 149 Daughters' Narrative 3.4 Thematic Links between Genesis 38 and the Book of 150 Ruth 3.5 Commentary on Genesis 38 153 3.6 Prostitutes and Consecrated Women in Genesis 38 166 and other Biblical Passages 3.7 Tamar's Role in the Narrative - The Marginal 174 Protagonist 3.8 Judah's Role in the Narrative - Through Ironic Eyes 178 3.9 Conclusion of the Genesis 38 Narrative 180 Chapter 4: The Literary and Rhetorical 183 Portrayal of Prostitution as Portrayed in Genesis 38:1-30 in Second Temple Jewish Literature and Early Rabbinic Literature 4.1 The Judah and Tamar Story in the Testament of Judah 183 4.2 Jubilees 41 - Presentation of the Narrative of Judah 206 and Tamar 4.3 Targum Neofiti - Interpretation of the Narrative of 207 Judah and Tamar 4.3.1 Witnesses: Lost and Found 210 4.3.2 Tamar's Prayer 213 4.3.3 Tamar's Statement Before the Court 216 4.3.4 Judah's Confession 217 4.3.5 Conclusions Regarding Targum Neofiti 220 Commentary on Genesis 38 4 4.4 Commentary of Genesis Rabba 85 on Genesis 38 222 4.4.1 Paragraph 1 223 4.4.2 Paragraph 2 225 4.4.3 Paragraph 3 228 4.4.4 Kings and Redeemers Elsewhere in Genesis Rabba 231 85 4.4.5 Judah's Role as a Worthy Ancestor 234 4.4.6 Tamar the Worthy Ancestress 239 4.4.7 Conclusions of the Genesis Rabba Exegesis on 242 Genesis 38 Chapter 5: Conclusions 245 Bibliography 270 Abstract 281 5 Acknowledgements I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to Professor Y. Gitai for his good counsel and steady encouragement which have seen this thesis to its completion. He first introduced me to academic thinking and working with him over the last few years as my supervisor has been a privilege. I also wish to pay special recognition to my co-supervisor Professor P. Nel who has provided thoughtful comments and direction throughout the preparation of this thesis. I also thank the administration of the University of the Free State for allowing me the opportunity to study under its auspices. I am also grateful for the financial assistance which enabled me to focus my efforts on completing this thesis. My deepest thanks also go to the administration of the Lookstein Center of Jewish Education at Bar Ilan University in Israel, where I have worked for the past ten years, for allowing me the time to spend researching and writing this thesis. I am particularly thankful to Rabbi Stuart Zweiter, Director of the Lookstein Center, for his support and advice. On a more personal level, I wish to thank my wife, Leah, who has been a constant support in this intellectual endeavor. In addition, my mother has been an invaluable source of encouragement and support throughout this intensive period. As an expression of appreciation, I dedicate this thesis to them. 6 Introduction The Main Problem Addressed by this Thesis There are a number of narratives in the Hebrew Bible which deal with seemingly inappropriate behaviors such as drunkenness and prostitution. These stories include, among others, Noah's drunkenness after the flood in Genesis 9:18-29, Lot's drinking of wine with his two daughters in Genesis 19:31-38 and the narrative of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38. The unseemly aspects of these stories are puzzling because the major protagonists are often characters portrayed as models of otherwise righteous behavior. Noah, for example, is the only character in the Bible who is referred to as a righteous man (Genesis 6:9 and Genesis 7:1). Yet leaving the ark after the flood his first (צדיק) action is to plant a vineyard and get drunk. As he lies naked in his tent, his nakedness is observed by one of his sons, Ham, who acts in an inappropriate way (not specifically detailed in the biblical narrative). The biblical narrative does not dwell on Noah's inappropriate behavior. How then are the readers, not to mention the early rabbis, to understand Noah's act of drunkenness in light of what the Bible has already told us about his being a righteous man? Similarly, in Genesis 19:31-38, the Bible describes the actions of Lot and his two daughters after the destruction of Sodom. The two daughters make their father drunk and commit incest to conceive children. In this narrative, the act of drunkenness is compounded by the sin of incest. Yet this provocative biblical narrative is understated and elliptical in style giving no judgment of their behavior.1 How is this story evaluated in second temple and early rabbinic literature? The story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38 is another puzzling moral narrative. Tamar intentionally deceives her father-in law by impersonating a prostitute and Judah engages a woman who he considers a prostitute. Moreover, he and his daughter-in-law commit what appears to be incest. Even more disturbing is that as a result of their seemingly inappropriate union are 1 Discussions of biblical narrative's elliptical style include Auerbach E. 1953. Odysseus' Scar. In: Trask WR (ed). Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature. Princeton: Princeton University Press. pp. 3-23 and Sternberg M. 1985. Gaps, Ambiguity and the Reading Process. In: The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading, Indiana Studies in Biblical Literature, Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp.186-229. 7 born twin boys, one of whom is Perez, a direct ancestor of King David.2 This seemingly inappropriate liaison on the part of royal ancestors creates an intolerable tension within the narrative that calls for meaningful resolution. The Aims and Objectives of this Thesis The provocative and perplexing biblical narratives in Genesis 9:18-29, Genesis 19:31-38 and Genesis 38 invite and even demand interpretation.