Martha Daughter of Boethus (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Martha daughter of Boethus, in the Mishnah and Babylonian Talmud, was one of the richest women in Jerusalem in the period prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. (Talmud Gittin 56a; see also Talmud Ketubot 104a.) After her first husband died, she became engaged to Joshua ben Gamala. (Mishnah Yevamot 6:4; Talmud Yevamot 61a.) Rav Assi said that she paid King Jannai (whom scholars identify with Agrippa II) a quantity of money equal in size to 72 eggs to nominate Joshua to become high priest (Talmud Yoma 18a), even though the Sanhedrin had not elected him to the post. (Talmud Yevamot 61a.) Even though the general rule was that a high priest should not marry a widow (Mishnah Yevamot 6:4), the couple went on to marry, and the Mishnah cites the event for the proposition that a priest who betroths a widow and subsequently becomes high priest may consummate the marriage. (Mishnah Yevamot 6:4; Talmud Yevamot 61a.). It was said of Martha's son, who was a priest, that he was so strong that he could carry up to the altar two sides of a huge ox without any lack of decorum. (Talmud Sukkah 52b.)