Come for an afternoon of restful contemplation as we explore the stories of the women mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy from the Gospel of Matthew.

Tamar: In the book of Genesis, Tamar was the daughter in law of Judah (twice), as well as the mother of two of his children: the twins, Perez and Zerah. Tamar first marries Judah’s eldest son who, because of his wickedness, is killed by God. Judah askes his second son to provide offspring for Tamar so that the family line might continue. The story gets more complicated from there…

Rahab: Rahab was, according to the Book of Joshua, a Gentile woman who lived in Jericho in the Promised Land and assisted the Israelites by hiding two men who had been sent to scout the city prior to their attack. In the New Testament, she is lauded both as an example of a saint who lived by faith, and as someone considered righteous for her works. According to biblical research, the author intended that she did not actually contribute to conquering the city, but rather saved herself and her family from death by the Israelites’ forces.

Ruth: Ruth is the person after whom the book of Ruth is named. She was a Moabite woman who married an Israelite. After the death of all the male members of her family (her husband, her father in law, and her brother in law), she stays with her mother in law, Naomi, and moves to Judah with her, where Ruth wins the love and protection of a wealthy relative through her kindness. She is the great-grandmother of David.

Bathsheba: Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of David, according to the Hebrew Bible. She was the mother of Solomon, who succeeded David as king, making her the Gebirah (queen mother). She is best known for the Biblical narrative in which she was summoned by King David, who had seen her bathing and lusted after her.