BRAGADAYJAH 128

After the death of Judah’s two sons, Tamar went back to her father’s house; but in the course of time, tragedy struck Judah again in the form of the death of his daughter, and Judah was much aggrieved and decided to go and spend some time among his sheepshearers, which was in an area near to where Tamar lived. Hearing that Judah was there, Tamar discarded her mourning apparel and dressed herself up in a disguise, and sat by the way where she suspected Judah would pass in going back and forth. Part of her reason was that Judah’s third son who was a child had by that time grown, and he was not allowed to marry her as promised, Judah no doubt fearing the same fate would overtaking him. So it happened that as Tamar sat by the wayside, Judah passed and saw her, and not recognizing her, and thinking she was a harlot, sought to engage her services. And so Tamar asked him, “What will you give me?” And Judah promised her a kid from his flock. Wanting to trap him further, Tamar asked him for a pledge; something that would be in short some form of security; and Judah asked her what she wanted. So Tamar asked for his signet ring, his bracelet and his staff he was carrying. And so Judah agreed and gave them to her and went with her, in accordance with their agreement. Having trapped his man, Tamar went back to her house, took off her disguise and put on her widowhood garb again. And as promised Judah sent the kid by the hand of his trusted friend, and instructed him to ask the woman to return the items to him; but the woman was not found. He looked around and made enquiries of the local men, and asked them for the harlot that sits by the roadside; but they said, there was no such woman that they knew of. So Judah’s friend went and reported to him that he was unable to find the harlot he had described, and furthermore, no one else seemed to have ever heard of or known of such a woman. More