The_Sotah_Ritual_In_Ancient_Israel

The Sotah Ritual In Ancient Israel Introduction The ritual of the sotah from the book of Numbers is a fascinating passage to read in the Hebrew Bible. For one thing, this ritual deals with the idea of a man being able to bring his wife to trial, even if he has no evidence against her. While such an instance might be seen as negative treatment of women, others might explain it as the Israelites’ constant concern over the idea of impurity. Another interesting aspect of the sotah rite is that it is the only example of an ordeal similar to those practiced in other cultures of the Ancient Near East. While other ordeals are told mostly in story form, Num. 5:11-31 is the only instance in which the actual process of an ordeal is laid 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 are evidence as to why this small 20 verse passage has been subject to such scrutiny and study over the course of the years. Adultery in the Hebrew Bible The ritual for the “errant woman” in Numbers ritual, wife, woman, one, ordeal, idea, being, trial, g-d, husband, guilty, sotah, rabbis, lord, adultery, two, numbers, both, man, korah, bible, women, hebrew, ordeals, might, example, crime, fact, even, bring, ancient, against, several, punishment, passage