Jewish tradition Ordeal of the bitter water

1 jewish tradition

1.1 mishnah , talmud
1.2 trial

1.2.1 ordeal
1.2.2 offering


1.3 false accusations
1.4 cessation of ordeal

jewish tradition
mishnah , talmud

according mishnah, practice woman first brought sanhedrin, before being subjected ordeal. repeated attempts made persuade women confess, including multiple suggestions of possible mitigating factors; if confessed, ordeal not required.

the regulations require ordeal take place when woman brought israelite priest, or when brought before god. mishnah reports that, in time of second temple, taken east gate of temple, in front of nikanor gate.

the woman required biblical passage have loosened hair during ritual; taken symbol of woman s supposed shame, according josephus, merely standard behaviour accused of crime, when appeared before sanhedrin. mishnah states garment wearing ripped expose heart. rope tied above breasts clothes did not fall off. mishnah, however, argues clothing on woman s upper body stripped away, leaving bare-breasted.

regardless of whatever original significance was, @ time talmud compiled ordeal regarded method of pressuring woman confession.

trial
the ordeal

this trial consisted of wife having drink specific potion administered priest. text not specify amount of time needed potion take effect; 19th century scholars suspected intended have immediate effect. mishnah mentions there suspension of ordeal one, 2 or 3 years, if has acquittal. maimonides records traditional rabbinical view: belly swells first , thigh ruptures , dies . others maintain since word thigh used in bible euphemism various reproductive organs, in case may mean uterus, placenta or embryo, , woman survive.

nahmanides points out of 613 commandments, sotah law requires god s specific co-operation make work. bitter waters can effective miraculously.

the text specifies potion should made water , dust; in masoretic text, water used potion must holy water, , targum interprets water molten sea, septuagint instead requires running water. passage argues curse washed water; thought idea derives belief words of curse exist in own right. others argue curse euphemism miscarriage or infertility.

the potion had mixed in earthenware vessel; may have been because potion regarded taboo spread contact, , therefore made vessel taboo, necessitating subsequent destruction (as biblical rules concerning taboo animals, earthenware vessels such animals fall). however, talmud , rashi explain vessel chosen contrast woman s predicament behavior. gave adulterer drink choice wine in valuable goblets; therefore, let drink bitter water in worthless clay vessel.

maimonides further writes: when dies, adulterer because of whom compelled drink die, wherever located. same phenomena, swelling of belly , rupture of thigh, occur him. above applies provided husband never engaged in forbidden sexual relations in life. if, however, husband ever engaged in forbidden relations, [bitter] waters not check [the fidelity of] wife.

the offering

the husband required make sacrifice god, part of ritual, due general principle no 1 should seek answers god without giving in return. offering required placed in wife s hands, , literally described offering her; scholars think man s offering, in relation ordeal of wife, , holding of merely symbolic of this.

the offering specified 1 tenth of ephah of barley meal, unaccompanied oil or frankincense; cheaper type of flour, unlike flour specified other biblical sacrifices. specification thought rare survival of earlier period, in there no restriction on types of flour used sacrifices, although mishnah argues reference bestial nature of adultery, coarse flour being food of beasts.

false accusations

if woman unharmed bitter water, rules regard innocent of accusation. account in book of numbers states man shall free blame (5:26). not confused deuteronomic code, pertains when man accuses wife of pre-marital sex; when accusation disproven, husband fined, , no longer have right of divorcing wife (deuteronomy 22:13-19) there more reason fine , whip man accuses wife of pre-marital sex husband of sotah woman. man accuses wife of pre-marital sex has no proof wife when accuses her, whereas sotah woman, husband warned not seclude herself particular man, thereafter did. therefore, whether innocent of accusation of adultery or not, still has caused reasonable suspicion in eyes of husband.

the rabbinical interpretation of numbers 5:28 when woman accused of adultery innocent drinks bitter water, if unable conceive, conceive , give birth male.

cessation of ordeal

according mishnah, sotah, 9:9 practice abolished time during first century ce under leadership of yohanan ben zakkai. if had not been abolished, rite have sunk abeyance fall of temple (in approximately year 70 ce), because, according law, ceremony not performed elsewhere. explanations in rabbinical literature vary concerning cessation of practice. yohanan ben zakkai stated:

when adulterers became many, ordeal of bitter water stopped, ordeal of bitter water performed in case of doubt. there many see lovers in public

rabbi hanina of sura said in talmud sotah:

nowadays man should not wife, “do not secluded so-and-so,” ... if secluded herself man, since have not water suspected woman test her, husband forbids himself time.