Genesis 38: Tamars berättelse, i en mansdominerad värld.

Sammanfattning: Is it possible that Genesis 38 is a story about an ancient woman? And should Genesis 38 be called The Story of Tamar? Numerous signals in Gen 38 point to Tamar being the main character of the story. Nevertheless, throughout history, the story has been said to be about Judah and his transformation from a mean and selfish character in Gen 37 to a caring and selfless one in Gen 43:8–10. But is that really the case? Through a narrative method, this thesis explores the characterizations of Tamar and Judah to determine who is the chapters’ main purpose. It shows that, throughout the narrative, Judah is a dubious character, as also indicated by the implicit author. Tamar, on the other hand, is the one on whose behalf Jahve acts, in the same way as Jahve guides and protects chosen characters in the narratives of the Patriarchal History (Gen 12–36). One of the arguments is that Jahve has the power to open and close a woman’s womb, and in Gen 38 this is specifically shown through arguments regarding Tamar as associated with the date palm: the date palm can only be pollinated through the breath of Jahve. This study presents multiple arguments which point to Jahve’s providence behind Tamar’s succeeding plans and avoidance of disaster. The thesis establishes that the focus in the narrative is on Tamar, who also is the only character who goes through a clear transformation, and who, in the end, is blessed with two sons. The thesis demonstrates, through 14 points of connection, that the story about Tamar relates to the story about Josef, concluding that Gen 38 should be read as an intrinsic part of the Josef Story and not a later addition to it. Thus, the Story of Tamar in Gen 38 serves as a bridge that connects the stories of Patriarchal History in Gen 12–36 with the Story of Josef in Gen 37–50.