Genesis Rabbah is the commentary on the book of Genesis produced by the Rabbinic sages of the fourth and fifth centuries C.E. It provides the Judaic reading of the book of Genesis in light of historical events of that critical period, when the Roman Emperor, Constantine, legalized Christianity.

Genesis Rabbah is the commentary on the book of Genesis produced by the Rabbinic sages of the fourth and fifth centuries C.E. It provides the Judaic reading of the book of Genesis in light of historical events of that critical period, when the Roman Emperor, Constantine, legalized Christianity.

This exploration of Genesis 38 in three interpretive writings shows how new meanings emerge through encounters between the biblical text and later Jewish communities. A literary reading within the canon suggests that the story of Judah and Tamar points to the morally ambiguous origins of David's lineage. Ancient Jewish exegesis, however, challenges this understanding. The Testament of Judah interprets Genesis 38 as the story of a warrior king's tragic downfall. Targum Neofiti develops it to illustrate the concept "sanctification of the (divine) Name". and Genesis Rabbah portrays it as a series of providential events issuing in the royal and messianic lineage. Esther Marie Menn pioneers a fresh approach to the study of biblical interpretation by analyzing the relation between interpretative genre, altered plot structure, and cultural values.

Presents parts of the Judaic tradition of wisdom, concentrating on the oral part of the Torah, represented by the documents of law and scriptural exegesis.