The Sotah Ritual in Ancient Israel Essay -- Book of Numbers Religion I

The Sotah Ritual in Ancient IsraelIntroductionThe ritual of the sotah from the appropriate of Numbers is a fascinating passage to read in the Hebraical Bible. For one thing, this ritual deals with the judgment of a man beingness capable to bring his wife to trial, even if he has no evidence against her. magic spell such an instance might be seen as negative discussion of women, others might explain it as the Israelites constant concern over the idea of impurity. Another interesting formulation of the sotah rite is that it is the solely example of an trial by ordeal similar to those get alongd in other cultures of the Ancient Near East. plot of ground other ordeals are told mostly in story form, Num. 511-31 is the only instance in which the figure outual process of an ordeal is laid bring out point by point. Finally, the ritual merits attention due to its continued practice even after the Temple was destroyed, as is depicted in the Talmud. These reasons and more than are e vidence as to why this small 20 verse line passage has been subject to such scrutiny and study over the year of the years.Adultery in the Hebrew BibleThe ritual for the errant cleaning lady in Numbers 511-31 is only one of many instances in the senile Testament that deals with the crime of adultery. The crime is described throughout the books in the Hebrew Bible, such as Genesis 206, Lev. 1820, Ezek. 186, Ps. 516, and Mal. 35. A variety of texts discuss the evil of adultery. The Israelites held the act in such harsh light, that a commandment against committing adultery is open in the Decalogue. This certainly indicates that extra-martial affairs were viewed in a severe manner. In the Hebrew Bible, adultery is considered a capital crime, punishable by the nation stoning the adulterous wife and her lover to death. Deut. 2220 commands this common punishment in order to sweep away evil from Israel. The chief remains as to why this crime was considered to be such a transgression. Several explanations exist to account for the seriousness of the crime.A significant aspect of life in the Ancient Near East was the importance of the family line. unrivaled of the most frightening ideas in the Bible is the punishment of karet, an Israelites being cut off from the community. This is understood as early death and childlessness, or the death of ones descendants . Such an event could yield from an unfaithful wife conceiving a son with the adulterer. I... ...der Westview Press,1998.McKane, William. Poison, Trial by Ordeal, and the form of Wrath. VetusTestamentum. Vol. XXX (1980).McKeating, Henry. Sanctions Against Adultery in Ancient Israelite Society with Some contemplation on Methodology in the Study of Old Testament Ethics. daybook for the Studyof the OldTestament. Vol. XVII (Mar. 1979).Milgrom, Jacob. A Husbands Pride, A soldierys Prejudice The Public Ordeal BibleReview. Vol. XII. (Aug. 1996).Morgenstern, Julian. Trial By Ordeal Among the Semites and in Ancie nt Israel.Hebrew Union College Annual. Vol. II, (1925).Neusner, Jacob. The Talmud of the Land of Israel An academic Commentary to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Divisions, Atlanta Scholars Press, 1998.-----------------. The Talmud of the Land of Israel A Complete Outline of the 2nd, 3rd, and4th Divisions, Atlanta Scholars Press, 1998.Pardee, Dennis. Marim in Num. 5. Vetus Testamentum. Vol. XXXI (1985).Phillips, Andrew. Another Look at Adultery. Journal for the Study of the OldTestament. Vol. XX (July, 1981). Sasson, Jack M. Num. 5 and the Waters of Judgment. Biblische Zeifschrift. Vol. XIV(1972).