marriage

The deuterocanonical Book of Tobit narrates the story of Tobit and his son, Tobias. A key element of this narrative involves the angel Raphael, disguised as a human, accompanying Tobias on a journey. During this journey, Tobias marries Sarah, who had previously been married seven times, each husband dying on their wedding night due to a demon. Raphael’s intervention ensures Tobias’s safety and Sarah’s liberation from this demonic affliction. This narrative intersects with a well-known challenge posed by Sadducees concerning the resurrection of the dead, which they rejected. Their hypothetical scenario posited a woman married consecutively to seven brothers, questioning whose wife she would be in the afterlife.

This intersection offers insight into differing Jewish theological viewpoints during the Second Temple period. The Sadducees, focused on the Pentateuch, denied the resurrection, while other Jewish groups, evidenced by the Book of Tobit, embraced this belief. The story of Sarah’s multiple marriages, though not explicitly addressing the Sadducean question, offers a narrative framework that implicitly underscores the complexities of marriage and the afterlife. It showcases the belief in angelic intervention and divine power capable of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, including those posed by demonic forces. This narrative’s existence highlights the ongoing theological debates and the diverse interpretations of scripture prevalent at the time.

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