ABSTRACT
Tamar in Genesis is the wife of Judah's first-born. Having lost two sons connected with Tamar, Judah keeps her away from Shelah, the next. Tamar in Samuel is a daughter of David, and full sister of Absalom. As with most topics relating to the Pentateuch, a vast amount has been written on Tamar and Judah and he can only claim to be aware of some small part of it. Tamar in Samuel is a daughter of David, and full sister of Absalom. David's first-born son becomes infatuated with her, and tricks her into his intimate company by pretending to be ill, and getting David's permission for Tamar to nurse him and feed him. He rapes her, and immediately hates her and throws her out. The writer of Genesis needed to give greater space to Joseph if he was to demonstrate, basing himself on Davidic tradition, that Joseph was quite as legitimate as Judah.
