Pages

Saturday, December 23, 2023

Who stole the baby in that Solomonic case?

DR. HILARY LIPKA: King Solomon Solves the Case of the Two Prostitutes. (TheTorah.com)
So why aren’t we told which mother actually stole the baby?
It's possible this story has an historical basis, but I tend to read it as a folktale. Be that as it may, my favored interpretation is that Solomon didn't care who the biological mother was. His "dangerous ruse" established which woman would be the better mother to the child. He gave him to her.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.