t12papocrypha
Testament of Judah 10
Judah recounts the deaths of his sons Er and Onan, both of whom refused to consummate their levirate duty with Tamar and died for their wickedness. The narrative traces the source of their defiance to Bathshua, Judah's Canaanite wife, who despised Tamar for being of Aramean rather than Canaanite lineage. The angel of Jehovah executes judgment on Er directly; Onan dies after Judah's rebuke forces a token compliance. Bathshua then withholds Shelah from Tamar, perpetuating the obstruction. The chapter frames the failure as lineage-rooted contempt obstructing the covenant line through which the birthright must descend.
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After these things, my son Er took to wife Tamar, from Mesopotamia, a daughter of Aram. Now Er was wicked, and he doubted concerning Tamar, because she was not of the land of Canaan. And on the third day an angel of the Lord smote him in the night, and he had not known her, according to the evil craftiness of his mother, for he did not wish to have children from her. In the days of the wedding-feast I espoused Onan to her; and he also in wickedness knew her not, though he lived with her a year. And when I threatened him, he lay with her, …according to the command of his mother, and he also died in his wickedness. And I wished to give Shelah also to her, but my wife Bathshua suffered it not; for she bore a spite against Tamar, because she was not of the daughters of Canaan, as she herself was.
