Provocative Women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba in Matthew's Genealogy of Jesus

Only five women appear among the 41 men in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. Mary is joined by four women from the Hebrew Bible (OT): Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba.

What do these five women have in common? Are they simply the “bad girls of the Bible” who point to Jesus’ saving power, or foreigners who anticipate Jesus’ inclusive ministry?

Let’s explore who they are and what they may have to say to women and men of their time and ours.

Jan 2021