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Ordeal of the bitter water
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The Bitter Water Ordeal is a test by poisonous concoctions and potions mentioned in the Book of Numbers.
Description
In the case of a mere suspicion on the part of the husband, not substantiated by legal evidence, the woman is compelled by the law (Num 5:11-31) to submit to an ordeal, or God's judgment, which consists in her drinking the water of bitterness, that is, water from the holy basin mingled with dust from the floor of the sanctuary and with the washed-off ink of a writing containing the oath which the woman has been made to repeat. The water is named bitter with reference to its effects in the case of the woman's guilt; on the other hand, when no ill effects follow, the woman is proved innocent and the husband's jealousy unsubstantiated.[1]
The ritual begins with the husband bringing his wife and an offering of barley to the tabernacle. The priest offers up the sacrificial barley, then takes holy water and mixes it with dust from the floor of the tabernacle. He uncovers the woman’s hair and charges her with an “imprecatory oath,” effectively cursing her if she committed the sin. The woman must then drink the “bitter water.” If her belly swells, it is a sign she is guilty and “shall be cursed,” whereas if the water has no effect, she is considered pure.
The law prescribes no sanction against the husband if the wife withstands the ordeal so that the suspicion proves to be unfounded.
Interpretation
Jewish scholars have rejected a broad interpretation of the husband’s right to demand that his wife undergo divine ordeal, presumably because they considered it dangerous and humiliating for the accused. Consequently, Jewish law interprets the term “jealousy” as a warning of the husband to his wife, made in front of witnesses, not to be confined alone with a particular man. If the wife then disobeys the warning, the husband is entitled to demand the ordeal.
According to the Mishna (Ṣōṭāh 9) this ordeal of the woman suspected of adultery was abolished by Johanan ben Zaccai (after 70 CE), on the ground that the men of his generation were not above the suspicion of impurity. [1]
See also
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
References
- ^ a b "Adultery," International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
- Daniel Friedmann: From the Trial of Adam and Eve to the Judgments of Solomon and Daniel
This article incorporates text from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia article "Adultery", a publication now in the public domain.
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