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Article: Matthew's birth story: an early milepost in the history of Jewish marriage law.(Essay)
- Article from:
- Biblical Theology Bulletin
- Article date:
- August 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Biblical Theology Bulletin, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Abstract
The New Testament's initial narrative, the Matthean birth story, though immensely well-known, can still provide some surprises. One of its novel elements is its presumption that Joseph requires a divorce in order to sever his betrothal to Mary, pregnant with another's child. That betrothal constitutes a marriage and requires a get to terminate is a commonplace in the law of the Mishna, bur appears nowhere in the laws of the written Torah: Matthew, though notoriously anti-Pharisee, is promoting the Pharisaic interpretation of marriage law, and is probably the earliest source available to us for this interpretation. This brief essay suggests some of the ...