Texts in Conversation
Tobit introduces the demon Asmodeus, who was thought to kill a bride’s husband on their wedding night, reflecting a common Jewish belief. Song of Solomon describes Solomon’s couch guarded by sixty warriors against night terrors, a scene that echoes the same concern.
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Song of Solomon 3:7
Song of Songs
Hebrew Bible
7 Look! It is Solomon’s portable couch! It is surrounded by sixty warriors, some of Israel’s mightiest warriors. 8 All of them are skilled with a sword, well trained in the art of warfare. Each has his sword at his side, to guard against the terrors of the night. 9 King Solomon made a sedan chair for himself of wood imported from Lebanon. 10 Its posts were made of silver; its back was made of gold. Its seat was upholstered with purple wool; its interior was inlaid with leather by the maidens of Jerusalem.
Date: 3rd Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Tobit 3:8
Deuterocanon
7 On the same day, at Ecbatana in Media, it also happened that Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, was reproached by one of her father's maids. 8 For she had been married to seven husbands, and the wicked demon Asmodeus had killed each of them before they had been with her as is customary for wives. So the maid said to her, "You are the one who kills your husbands! See, you have already been married to seven husbands and have not borne the name of a single one of them. 9 Why do you beat us? Because your husbands are dead? Go with them! May we never see a son or daughter of yours!"
Date: 225-175 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... There are widespread reports from people in the Middle East that on the first wedding night they believed a demon would threaten the married couple. In the apocryphal book Tobit that devil was identified as Asmodaeus (Tobit 3:8). In the Song of Songs we read that ‘sixty of Israel’s picked warriors’ stood round Solomon’s bed ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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