judgeship, and Messiahship, the three distinctions of the
descendants of Tamar from her union with Judah. When
Judah sent her the promised reward, a kid of the goats, by
the hand of his friend, in order to receive the pledges from
her hand, Tamar could not be found, and he feared to make
further search for her, lest he be put to shame. But Tamar,
who soon discerned that she was with child, felt very happy
and proud, for she knew that she would be the mother of
kings and redeemers.[87]

When her state became known, she was forcibly dragged
before the court, in which Isaac, Jacob, and Judah sat as
judges. Judah, being the youngest of the judges and the
least considerable in dignity, was the first to give a decision,
for thus it is prescribed in criminal cases, that the prominent
judges overawe not the lesser and influence their decisions
unduly. It was the opinion of Judah that the woman was
liable to the penalty of death by burning, for she was the
daughter of the high priest Shem, and death by fire is the
punishment ordained by the law for a high priest's daughter
that leads an unchaste life.[88]

The preparations for her execution were begun. In vain
Tamar searched for the three pledges she had received from
Judah, she could not find them, and almost she lost hope
that she would be able to wring a confession from her
father-in-law. She raised her eyes to God, and prayed:
"I supplicate Thy grace, O God, Thou who givest ear to
the cry of the distressed in the hour of his need, answer me,
that I may be spared to bring forth the three holy children,