Who Was “Shelah Son of Judah” and What Happened to Him?

M.D. Cassuto, “Ma`aseh Tamar veyehudah” (1929), reprinted in Biblical and Canaanite Literatures (Jerusalem : Magnes Press, 1972): 108-117 (Hebrew). Cassuto is mainly concerned with the continuity between this chapter and the proceeding one describing the sale of Joseph initiated by Judah. For a different view see E.A. Speiser, Genesis (Anchor Bible; Doubleday, Garden City, 1964):299:  “The narrative is a completely independent unit.” For a superb and most instructive treatment of this passage, see Robert Alter, The Art of the Biblical Narrative (Basic Books: New York, 1981): 3-12.

Editor’s note: For more on Wiederaufnahme, see Zev Farber’s TABS essay, “The Resumptive Repetition (Wiederaufnahme).”  

A subtle punishment is that she is identified in the Bible only by the name of her cuckolded husband’s name.  The Quran calls her Zulaykha.

A hendiadys, see Speiser op.cit.

In the words of the Rabbis (b. Berachot 43b):

אמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי: נוח לו לאדם שיפיל עצמו לתוך כבשן האש ואל ילבין פני חברו ברבים  

Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of R. Shimon bar Yochai: “One should be willing to throw himself into a burning furnace rather than embarrass another.”

 See H. Frankfort, Cylinder Seals. A Documentary Essay on the Art and Religion of The Ancient Near East (London, 1939):252 ff.; A.Demsky, Literacy in Ancient Israel(Jerusalem: Mossad Bialik, 2012): 142 (Hebrew).

Additionally, Jacob threatens to go down to sheol in mourning (37:35).

Noted already in Bereshit Rabba 84:11,12.

 Casutto, ibid.:114 citing ancient Near Eastern parallels.

Editor’s note: For an alternative position, arguing that these narratives are not trying to teach laws, see Pamela Barmash’s TABS essays, “Tamar’s Extraordinary Risk: A Narrative—not a Law—of Yibbum,” and “The Book of Ruth: Achieving Justice through Narrative.” 

On this aberration from the later law, see Nachmanides:

ועל דרך הפשט יתכן שהיה משפט כנהוג במקצת ארצות ספרד, שהאישה אשר תזנה תחת אישה, מוסרין אותה לבעלה, והוא דן אותה למיתה או לחיים כרצונו. והנה תמר היתה מיועדת לשלה בנו, והיא כאשת איש בנימוסיהם.

On a simple level, it seems likely that they had a practice similar to one that is carried out nowadays in Spanish communities, that when a woman cheats on her husband, she is given over to him and he decides whether she is to live or die, however he feels. In this case, Tamar was betrothed to [Judah’s] son Shelah, and would have been considered a married woman according to their laws.

This literary portrayal of Judah certainly blurs the ethnic makeup of the tribe. See the summary of the lively discussion among archeologists applying social theory to the local material culture in the Iron I period. The ethnic identity of the inhabitants of this border area is further complicated by the later impact of the Philistine influence, see A. Maeir and L.A. Hitchcock, “And the Canaanite Was Then in the Land”? A Critical View on the “Canaanite Enclave” in Iron I Southern Canaan,” in I Finkelstein, C Robin and T. Römer, eds.Alphabets, Texts and Artifacts in the Ancient Near East ( 2016): 209-229.

 Others suggest that it was Judah who was in Achzib when Shelah was born in some other place. This would explain why it was his mother who gave him his name; see A. Demsky, “Shelah,” Encyclopedia Biblica vol. 7 (Jerusalem, Mossad Bialik , Jerusalem ,1976);681-682 [Hebrew].

Note the tripartite division:

^לג בַּשְּׁפֵלָה אֶשְׁתָּאוֹל וְצָרְעָה וְאַשְׁנָה.  ^לד וְזָנוֹחַ וְעֵין גַּנִּים תַּפּוּחַ וְהָעֵינָם.  ^לה יַרְמוּת וַעֲדֻלָּם שׂוֹכֹה וַעֲזֵקָה.  ^לווְשַׁעֲרַיִם וַעֲדִיתַיִם וְהַגְּדֵרָה וּגְדֵרֹתָיִם  עָרִים אַרְבַּע-עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן.

³³ In the Lowland: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, ³⁴ Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, ³⁵ Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,³⁶ Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim — 14 towns, with their villages.

 ^לז צְנָן וַחֲדָשָׁה וּמִגְדַּל-גָּד. ^לח וְדִלְעָן וְהַמִּצְפֶּה וְיָקְתְאֵל. ^לט לָכִישׁ וּבָצְקַת וְעֶגְלוֹן. ^מוְכַבּוֹן וְלַחְמָס וְכִתְלִישׁ. ^מאוּגְדֵרוֹת בֵּית-דָּגוֹן וְנַעֲמָה וּמַקֵּדָה עָרִים שֵׁשׁ-עֶשְׂרֵה וְחַצְרֵיהֶן.

³⁷ Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, ³⁸ Dilan, Mizpeh, Joktheel, ³⁹ Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, ⁴⁰ Cabbon, Lahmas, Chithlish, ⁴¹ Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: 16 towns, with their villages.

^מב לִבְנָה וָעֶתֶר וְעָשָׁן.  ^מגוְיִפְתָּח וְאַשְׁנָה וּנְצִיב.  ^מדוּקְעִילָה וְאַכְזִיב וּמָרֵאשָׁה עָרִים תֵּשַׁע וְחַצְרֵיהֶן.

⁴² Libnah, Ether, Ashan, ⁴³ Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, ⁴⁴ Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: 9 towns, with their villages.

The chapter lists all the cities in the tribal territory of Judah according to the topography, e.g. Negev, Shephelah, mountain and Judean desert, according to an administrative division that probably reflects the reigns of either King Uzziah or Hezekiah. One region south of Bethlehem, including Teqoa and Ephrath, is missing in the Masoretic text (Josh 15:49a), although found in the Septuagint.

A. Demsky, “Shelah”, Encyclopedia Biblica vol7 (Jerusalem , Mossad Bialik, 1976:681-682 (Hebrew)

 Mordechai Cogan, The Raging Torrent: Historical Inscriptions from Assyria and Babylonia relating to Ancient Israel, 2nd updated and expanded edition, Jerusalem: Carta, 2015.

^י בְּגַת אַל-תַּגִּידוּ בָּכוֹאַל-תִּבְכּוּ בְּבֵית לְעַפְרָה עָפָר התפלשתי (הִתְפַּלָּשִׁי). ^יא עִבְרִי לָכֶם יוֹשֶׁבֶת שָׁפִירעֶרְיָה-בֹשֶׁת לֹא יָצְאָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת צַאֲנָן מִסְפַּד בֵּית הָאֵצֶל יִקַּח מִכֶּם עֶמְדָּתוֹ.  יב כִּי-חָלָה לְטוֹב יוֹשֶׁבֶת מָרוֹת  כִּי-יָרַד רָע מֵאֵת ה’ לְשַׁעַר יְרוּשָׁלִָם. ^יגרְתֹם הַמֶּרְכָּבָה לָרֶכֶשׁ יוֹשֶׁבֶת לָכִישׁ רֵאשִׁית חַטָּאת הִיא לְבַת-צִיּוֹן כִּי-בָךְ נִמְצְאוּ פִּשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. ^יד לָכֵן תִּתְּנִי שִׁלּוּחִים עַל מוֹרֶשֶׁת גַּת בָּתֵּי אַכְזִיב לְאַכְזָב לְמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. ^טו עֹד הַיֹּרֵשׁ אָבִי לָךְ יוֹשֶׁבֶת מָרֵשָׁה  עַד-עֲדֻלָּם יָבוֹא כְּבוֹד יִשְׂרָאֵל.   ^טזקָרְחִי וָגֹזִּי עַל-בְּנֵי תַּעֲנוּגָיִךְ הַרְחִבִי קָרְחָתֵךְ כַּנֶּשֶׁר כִּי גָלוּ מִמֵּךְ. 

¹⁰ Tell it not in Gath, Refrain from weeping; In Beth-leaphrah, Strew dust over your head. ¹¹ Pass on, inhabitants of Shaphir! Did not the inhabitants of Zaanan Have to go forth naked in shame? There is lamentation in Beth-ezel — It will withdraw its support from you. ¹² Though the inhabitants of Maroth Hoped for good, Yet disaster from the LORD descended Upon the gate of Jerusalem. ¹³ Hitch the steeds to the chariot, Inhabitant of Lachish! It is the beginning Of Fair Zion’s guilt; Israel’s transgressions Can be traced to you!  ¹⁴ Truly, you must give a farewell gift To Moresheth-gath. The houses of Achzib are To the kings of Israel Like a spring that fails.  ¹⁵ A dispossessor will I bring to you Who dwell in Mareshah; At Adullam the glory Of Israel shall set.  ¹⁶ Shear off your hair and make yourself bald For the children you once delighted in; Make yourself as bald as a vulture, For they have been banished from you.

A. Demsky, “The Houses of Achzib,  IEJ 16 (1966): 212-215. References to other occupations among the Judean clans are the Scribal families of Jabetz (I Chron. 2:55); and the craftsmen (ibid. 4:14).

Y.Aharoni, Excavations at the “Sun temple in Lachish” Beit Miqra 14 (1968): 211-215 (Hebrew).    

It is possible that עשיה הבכור  and  מעשיה בן ברוך are the same. The name spelled plene with a yod before the lamed should not be confused with Shiloh in the territory of Joseph. Note that the other two families of Peretz and Zerah are also mentioned in this context, I Chron. 9: 4, 6 and Neh. 1: 4, 24.

 The place names Lechah, Kozeba and Laham seem to be local variants of the more familiar Lachish, Achzib and Lahmas.

H. Mommsen, I. Perlman & J. Yellin, “The Provenence of the lmlk Jars,” IEJ, 34 (1984): 89-113, esp. 111ff.