Guide
The Delicate Martha bat Boethus in the Rabbinic Imagination
1st–7th Centuries
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Martha bat Boethus appears in rabbinic literature as an extremely wealthy woman from a prominent priestly family in Jerusalem at the end of the Second Temple period (see Boethusians). Although she is a paradigm of wealth, she is portrayed using her status negatively, including employing her wealth to garner power for her family. The Palestinian and Babylonian Talmuds link Martha with the “delicate woman” in Deuteronomy 28:56, whose degradation exemplifies the horrors that will befall Israel as a punishment for disobedience, and b. Gittin 56a uses this link to connect the curses of Deuteronomy with the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. In some texts, Martha seems to serve as an example of the dangers of excessive wealth.
Related Primary Sources
Primary Source
Martha’s Sons’ Sacrifice
Twenty-four sacrifice a bull . . . two hold the foot and bring it to the altar . . . This is with respect to public sacrifices, but with respect to private sacrifices anyone who wishes to sacrifice…
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Martha as Paradigm of Wealth
You shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge (Deuteronomy 24:17), whether rich or poor, and even if she were [as rich as] Martha bat Boethus.
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Martha Curses the Rabbis
There was the case of Martha [bat Boethus] for whom the rabbis allotted two se’ah of wine every day. . . . Nevertheless she cursed them and said to them, “May you give so [little] to your daughters.”…
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Martha in the Babylonian Talmud
Rav Asi said: A tarqaba of denari [about 2–3 quarts of gold dinar coins—Ed.] Martha bat Boethus brought to King Yannai so that he would nominate Joshua ben Gamla…
Primary Source
Martha and the Siege of Jerusalem
Martha bat Boethus was [one of the] wealthy women of Jerusalem. She sent [out] her agent and said to him, “Go bring me fine flour.” By the time he went, [the fine flour] was [already] sold. He came…