The Biblical Tale of Judah and Tamar in Fourteenth-Century Iran

From the early medieval period onwards, Persian-speaking Jewish communities in Greater Iran utilized the Judeo-Persian language for their religious, intellectual, and cultural endeavors. Over six centuries, spanning from the 14th to the 19th century, Judeo-Persian literature flourished across various genres: bible translations, exegetical literature, halakhic and midrashic works, historical chronicles, dictionaries, scientific treatises and, notably, religious-epic narrative poems (mathnavī). The emergence of the latter is closely associated with the figure of Shāhīn (d. not earlier than 1358/9), who was active during the late Ilkhanid and early post-Mongol periods. This monograph explores Shāhīn’s treatment of the biblical tale of Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38) in his last poem Bereshit-nāma (Book of Genesis). While examining the major exegetical intricacies that the biblical narrative posed for Jewish commentators predating Shāhīn and highlighting its polemical charge in Islamic anti-Jewish disputation literature, the study traces the interpretive choices and translational methods employed by the Jewish poet in his version. It assesses the extent of Shāhīn’s engagement with extra-biblical Jewish sources and unveils the socio-historical and cultural values of his time that influenced his unique rendition of the biblical tale. Featuring the first scholarly edition and annotated translation of the Judah and Tamar account by Shāhīn, this monograph offers important insights into the challenges faced by the Jewish poet as he navigated biblical themes within a Perso-Islamicate cultural and religious milieu.

From the early medieval period onwards, Persian-speaking Jewish communities in Greater Iran utilized the Judeo-Persian language for their religious, intellectual, and cultural endeavors. Over six centuries, spanning from the 14th to the 19th century, Judeo-Persian literature flourished across various genres: bible translations, exegetical literature, halakhic and midrashic works, historical chronicles, dictionaries, scientific treatises and, notably, religious-epic narrative poems (mathnavī). The emergence of the latter is closely associated with the figure of Shāhīn (d. not earlier than 1358/9), who was active during the late Ilkhanid and early post-Mongol periods. This monograph explores Shāhīn’s treatment of the biblical tale of Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38) in his last poem Bereshit-nāma (Book of Genesis). While examining the major exegetical intricacies that the biblical narrative posed for Jewish commentators predating Shāhīn and highlighting its polemical charge in Islamic anti-Jewish disputation literature, the study traces the interpretive choices and translational methods employed by the Jewish poet in his version. It assesses the extent of Shāhīn’s engagement with extra-biblical Jewish sources and unveils the socio-historical and cultural values of his time that influenced his unique rendition of the biblical tale. Featuring the first scholarly edition and annotated translation of the Judah and Tamar account by Shāhīn, this monograph offers important insights into the challenges faced by the Jewish poet as he navigated biblical themes within a Perso-Islamicate cultural and religious milieu.

Acknowledgments

Note on Transcription, Dates, and Citation

Manuscript Collections

INTRODUCTION

Shāhīn and His Versification of Hebrew Biblical Narratives

Biography

Works

Shāhīn’s Working Patterns: General Observations

CHAPTER 1

The Biblical Account of Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38) and Some of Its Exegetical Trajectories

The Biblical Account

Some Interpretive Paths and Exegetical Solutions before Shāhīn’s Time

CHAPTER 2

The Judah–Tamar Account in Islamic Sources and Its Polemical Charge

CHAPTER 3

Scholarly Edition, Annotated Translation, and Persian Transliteration

Notes on the Manuscripts, Edition, Translation, and Persian Transliteration

Scholarly Edition

Annotated English Translation

Transliteration in Perso-Arabic Script

CHAPTER 4

Shāhīn’s Version of Genesis 38: Unraveling Interpretive Choices and Affinities

Act I: Judah Establishes His Household (Genesis 38:1–12a)

Act II: Judah’s Fateful Encounter with Tamar (Genesis 38:12–23)

Act III: The Climax — Truth Revealed (Genesis 38:24–26)

Act IV: Birth of the Twins (Genesis 38:27–30)

The Motif of Judah’s Drunkenness and Its Twofold Function in Shāhīn’s Narrative

CONCLUSIONS

Shāhīn Vis-à-Vis Jewish Exegetical Tradition on Genesis 38

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PLATES

• By (author) Julia Rubanovich