GH> What a weird bible you have...Ruth, the Moabitess, was widowed.
GH> When her mother-in-law, also widowed, decided to return to
GH> Israel, Ruth accompnied her. Shortly after coming to Israel,
GH> while working in the fields, she met a wealthy man, Boaz. She
GH> married him and bore him children. She is in the genelogy of
GH> David, and thus of Christ.

Interesting story, Ruth.

Just after the return from Babylon, Ezra - xenophobe and racist that he was - decreed that marriage outside of the tribe was a sin.

So his opponents created the story of Ruth, to show that not all "furriners" were bad.

The wording and writing style of the story of Ruth post-dated David and was concurrent with Ezra.

BTW - Ezra was the fellow who led the attack on the polytheistic Hebrews, attempting to eradicate the worship of Ashera and her consort as the head Goddess and God. Her consort, the HORNED GOD JHVH, ended up as the "only" god. Since his appearance was too close to that of the Helenic gods, it was decreed that no images were to be kept of him - with the excuse that this was idolatry.

Ezra added such "niceties" to Leviticus like "Thou shalt not allow a witch to live", accusing the worshipers of the female Goddess of such things as poisoning wells, eating babies, the usual.

Ayup! The bible is such an interesting document when you get the other pieces that show its background.

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