Portrayals of the Unnamed Concubine (Judges 19) in Early Jewish Literature

Abstract

<p>Motivated by the fact that many modem readers consider the story in Judge 19 to be a disturbing one. this thesis answers the question: How was the unnamed concubine portrayed in antiquity? Translations, retelling, and rabbinic discussions of Judge 19 that date from the Common Era to the end of the Classical Rabbinic Age are considered. This material includes the Masoretic text, versions of the Septuagint, Pseudo-Philo's Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum, Josephus' Jewish Antiquities, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, and rabbinic literature of the Tosefta and Babylonian Talmud. These texts are examined and compared to one another, paying close attention to the points of the Judge 19 story that are interpreted, as well as the possible reasons for interpretation. The "going out" of the concubine in Judge 19:2, the ambiguity surrounding her death (19:28), and the negative portrayal of the Levite are common points of interpretation. Many interpretations betray a concern for the portrayal of the Levite. Others, in particular the rabbinic literature, seem focused on the character of the concubine and her place in the story. By noting "exegetical motifs" that are common amongst the interpretations it is possible to realize some continuity in the way that Judge 19 was interpreted in early Jewish literature.</p>