Judah (Biblical figure)

In Genesis (the first book of the Bible) Judah (יְהוּדָה "Praise", Standard Hebrew Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhûḏāh) is the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, born in Padan-aram (Genesis xxix. 35), and the founder of the Hebrew tribe that bears his name.

Judah as a legendary hero

In Jewish literature Judah is represented as a man of extraordinary physical strength. When he shouted his voice was heard at a distance of 400 parasangs; when he became angry the hair of his chest became so stiff that it pierced his clothes; and when he took into his mouth lumps of iron he reduced them to dust (Midrash Genesis Rabbah xciii. 6). According to others, blood flowed from his two bucklers (Midrash Genesis Rabbah xciii. 7).

Related Topics:
Jewish literature - Parasangs

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He was a prominent figure in the wars between the Canaanites and his father's family after the latter had destroyed Shechem. These wars are alluded to by Pseudo-Jonathan (on Gen. xlviii. 22) and in Midrash Vayissa'u (Jellinek, "B. H." iii. 1-5), and are described at great length in Sefer ha-Yashar, section Wayishlah (see also Jubilees, xxxiv. 1-9; Test. Patr., Judah, 3-7).

Related Topics:
Shechem - Pseudo-Jonathan - Midrash Vayissa'u

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Judah's first remarkable exploit was the killing of Jashub, King of Tappuah. The latter, clad in iron armor, came riding on a horse and shooting arrows with both hands. While still at a distance of thirty cubits from him, Judah threw at Jashub a stone weighing sixty shekels, unhorsing him. Then in a hand-to-hand fight Judah killed his adversary. While he was stripping the armor from the body, he was assailed by nine of Jashub's companions, of whom he killed one and put to flight the rest. Of Jashub's army he killed 1,000 men (comp. Test. Patr., l.c.), or, according to Sefer ha-Yashar (l.c.), forty-two men.

Related Topics:
Jashub - Tappuah - Cubit - Shekel

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Great exploits were said to be performed by him at Hazar and Gaash, where he was the first to jump upon the wall and create havoc among the enemy. Midrash Wayissa'u describes also the battle between the children of Jacob and those of Esau, in which the chief part was taken by Judah. When Judah interfered on behalf of Benjamin (Gen. xliv. 18-34), he at first had a heated discussion with Joseph, which is given at great length in the Sefer ha-Yashar (section Wayiggash, agreeing in many points with Gen. Rab. xciii. 7).

Related Topics:
Hazar - Gaash - Esau

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The following incidents may be mentioned: When Joseph retained Benjamin, Judah shouted so loudly that Hushim, the son of Dan, who was in Canaan at a distance of 400 parasangs from him, heard his voice. Hushim came immediately to Egypt, and with Judah desired to destroy the land. In the Sefer ha-Yashar it is stated that Judah lifted a stone weighing 400 shekels, threw it into the air, and finally ground it to dust with his foot. He then told Naphtali to count the districts of Egypt, and when the latter reported that there were twelve of them, he said to his brothers: "I take three for myself and let each one of you take one, and we shall destroy the whole of Egypt." It was this decision that induced Joseph to disclose himself to his brothers.

Related Topics:
Hushim - Dan - Naphtali

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Because Judah had pledged himself to bring Benjamin back to his father, saying, "If I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever" (Gen. xliii. 9), his bones were rolled about without rest in the coffin during the forty years that the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness. Moses then prayed to God, arguing that Judah's confession had induced Reuben to confess his sin with Bilhah (Soṭah 7b; B. Ḳ. 92a; Mak. 11b). Judah's name was engraved on the emerald in the high priest's breastplate (Num. Rab. ii. 6).

Related Topics:
Moses - Bilhah - High priest

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~