Tamar, whose story is embedded in the ancestor narratives of genesis, is the ancestress of much of the tribe of judah and particularly the house of david. Tamar was a canaanite and married er, judah’s eldest son, one of the twelve sons of jacob. Tamar’s story takes place in a family and cultural context where maintaining one’s lineage was essential.

Her account is primarily found in genesis 38, where she is depicted as a woman of resilience and …