Levirate Marriage and the Family in Ancient Judaism

[ 44 ]

Index

Rereading the Rabbis (Hauptman),
126–27, 222n13
Roman Empire. See Greco-Roman
culture
Ruth (widow in biblical narrative),
31–33, 103
Ruth, Book of: birth of child as central
to levirate’s success, 167; and
brother definition, 102–3; and
children as heirs to deceased,
109–10; vs. Deuteronomy and
Genesis, 33–36; and extended
family’s role in levirate, xix, 161,
212n31; influence on rabbinic
literature, 43–44; levirate themes
in, 31–33, 133; levir’s avoidance of
levirate, 100

Safra, Rav, 86, 89
Salamone, Frank A., 12–14
Sanhedrin, 76–77
Sarah (matriarch), 54, 215n28
Sasanian Babylonia: levirate in,
134–35, 187, 202, 208n11; marriage
and kinship in, x xii, 43, 67, 185;
surrogacy assignment outside of
lineage, 193; Zoroastrianism, 67,
187– 88
Satlow, Michael, xix, x xiv, x xv, 67
Secondary and primary relationships,
defining, 56, 85–89
Second Temple period, 34, 37–39, 103
Sexual relationship: betrothal
through, 224n60; and co-wives
situation, 61, 62–64, 129; as de
facto consummation of levirate,
41, 130, 133–34, 135, 196, 224n60,
229–30n9; importance in
marriage, 138; levirate union as
opportunity for yevama, 10, 11;
rabbinic legal control over, 140,

202. See also Incest taboos
     Shame ritual for release from levirate.
     See Halitza
     Shammai, School of, 132, 143, 144–46,
     147, 190
     Sh’eir, 50–51, 58
     Shelah (younger son in Genesis 38),
     28, 29
     Shomeret yavam, 124, 128, 147
     Simeon ben Eleazar, Rabbi, 73, 74–75

Social status, yevama’s: vs. betrothed

woman, 130, 132, 136, 140–41, 149,

150; and childlessness, 10, 26, 128;

clarification through levirate, 7,

8–14, 41–42, 45, 106–7, 108, 120,

127, 140–41; criteria for yevama vs.

almana, 128–29; cross-cultural

analysis, 8–14, 134–35, 221n2;

and deceased husband, 164–65,

166; extended family relationship

complications, 161–64, 166;

and halitza, 41, 42, 128, 133–36,

138, 139; and levirate union as

marriage, 139, 165–66; options

for, 140–50; overview, 123–28;

power issues, 127, 130, 133–36, 137,

141–48, 150–61; voice in levirate

decision, 136–38, 139–40; waiting

period for establishing, 129–33,

165

Sotah, 55, 196

Spiritual heirs, 192

Spousal relationships and kinship

nomenclature, 57. See also

Husband and wife; Levirate union;

Marriage

Status, definition of, 52. See also

Social status, yevama’s

Steinberg, Naomi, 222n9

Stepfamily relationships, 56, 58, 89,

186 – 87

Sterile woman, 129, 169–70, 216–17n62

Strategies of continuity: adding wives,

36, 184; alternative strategies, 183–

89; biblical perspective, 36–37, 99,

109–10, 167–69; concubinage, 36,

184; and danger of uncertainty in

paternity, 177–83; Deuteronomy’s

support for, 26; levirate as, xviii,

x xiv, 10–18, 35, 36–37, 67, 167–76,

185; name continuity, xviii, x x, 59,

82, 93, 100, 174; and procreation

commandment, 189–92; rabbinic

perspective, 167–69, 184–89

Sudanese kinship system, 53

Surrogacy, levirate as, 1, 17, 29–30, 36,

188, 193

Swazi of Africa, 210n58

Talmud, Babylonian (Bavli): on

brothers’ eligibility for levirate,