King David The Paedophile - Introduction and Contents
This investigation was prompted by my reading of Dr. Michael L. Brown's CHRISTIAN ANTISEMITISM – CONFRONTING THE LIES IN TODAY'S CHURCH (2019). Several conundrums lifted themselves from the main text and endnotes as I read. For example, with the title of his polemic being Christian Antisemitism, it was odd that he provided many examples of antisemitism from non-Christian sources, including an atheist/agnostic, a Hindu critic of Noahide laws and unsurprisingly, several Muslim accounts. I found this disingenuous. A more detailed analysis revealed occasionally constructed straw men antisemitic examples which provided easy dismissal for him. I assume these were lapses into unconscious bias due to an understandable personal need to "expose the lies" by any means necessary. I assume therefore and conversely, that Dr. Michael L. Brown fully endorses the principle of asserting the truth wherever and whenever it is found.
Dr. Mchael L. Brown often recounts ad nauseum, many insults and ad hominem levelled against him, but I agree with his succinct suggestion to detractors as to how disagreement with his dogmatic and authoritative assertions should be expressed:
"Dr. Brown, I believe you are misinformed here, and your arguments are not convincing."Brown, M. L. (2019) Christian Antisemitism - Confronting The Lies In Today’s Church, Chapter 6: The Truth About the Talmud. P. 59
With respect to Dr. Michael L. Brown's defence opposing the charge of Talmudic and Rabbinic approval of prepubescent sexual intercourse I respectfully assert the above sentiment. Dr. Brown opens his section concerning the child sex issue covered here in King David the Paedophile with a question:
Dr. Michael Brown's Question
"Does the Talmud sanction paedophilia?"
Before proceeding I wish to address the use of the word "paedophilia".
Granted, the title of this investigation uses the word in the title, and I admit guilt in its clickbait nature. However, beyond this introduction I will refrain personally from using it until my conclusion, and it will only appear in quoted material. The word "paedophilia" has both a popular, and narrow use, in the sense of a psychological diagnosed disorder. The popular use might be aimed at an adult who has some degree of sexual relations with a male or female who is below the age of legal majority or consent in whichever jurisdiction the act takes place. This becomes problematic when one such instance takes place where the age of consent is 16 in one country and another instance where 18 is the age of consent. Is one paedophilic and the other not? In it's technical use as a diagnosed disorder, a paedophile is typically defined as someone who has persistent sexual fantasies, urges and activities towards, or with, prepubescent children normally of the age 13 and below. So, the question: "Does the Talmud sanction paedophilia?" distorts and slants the issue of "sanctioned" sex with children in the Talmud by suggesting only deviancy is the primary problem to be examined. It is not so straightforward, and many Talmud critics often frame it this way and this allows Talmud apologists to distract and direct the narrative to their own advantage, questioning the motives and accuracy of such criticisms. I am not suggesting deviant intent, or a perverse and arbitrary logic is not a factor. The purpose of this publication is to disclose the issue of child sex in the Talmud, and rabbinic sources elsewhere, and to allow readers to judge for themselves what is implicitly and explicitly revealed as to motives, reasoning, and consequences if child sex is indeed lawfully sanctioned by these authoritative sources.
The use of the word "sanction" by Dr. Brown implies some form of formal decree or judicial and lawful decision. This publication will explore the lawful statements related to the issue of prepubescent sexual intercourse and whether it is permitted by Rabbinic decree.
Dr. Brown provides some of his own apologetics but relies too on Rabbi Gil Student. In addition, Dr. Brown points to YouTube videos he describes as being "the careful work of researchers Jan Irvin and Lloyd De Jongh". All the objections against the Talmudic accusations concerning child sex used by Rabbi Gil Student, Dr. Brown and his trusted researchers will be addressed throughout this publication.
Chapter 1: sets out the issues surrounding the Talmud and the difficulties arising from exploring it and the method and authoritative sources used.
Chapter 2: sets out the starting point using Dr. Brown's objections in his Christian Antisemitism.
Chapter 3: defines the pivotal term "minor" (girls and boys) as the rabbis use it throughout rabbinic literature.
Chapter 4: addresses the title of this work, King David the Paedophile, by highlighting a little-known fact about how the rabbis in the Talmud used their abaci to determine the age of Bathsheba when King David "lay with her". The disputed age of Rebecca when Isaac married her is also addressed using a modern day book written for Jewish children.
Chapter 5: discloses the Talmudic discussions, and laws, applicable to girls younger than 3 years old who have been violated.
Chapter 6: explores the rabbinic decree that girls 12 and half years and below are under the authority of either their fathers, or if fatherless, their mother and brothers, with respect to whom they will be married.
Chapter 7: highlights the Talmud rabbis' consternation with the cause of vaginal bleeding in minor girls and her consequent degree of impurity.
Chapter 8: demonstrates the reality of an institution called "mi'un" which is the right for a married minor girl to "refuse" her husband under various circumstances and conditions.
Chapter 9: illustrates the degrees and seriousness of the rape and seduction of minor girls and the degrees of liability and non-liability of the perpetrator.
Chapter 10: addresses the precarious status of Gentile and captive minor girls with respect to their "rights" as victims of rape and/or virginal qualification for any future marriage.
Chapter 11: focuses on the "go to" sentence Talmud apologists repeatedly use from the Tractate Kiddushin, folio 41a, which declares it is "not proper" for a father to "betroth his minor daughter".
Chapter 12: addresses married minor boys, their de-flowering prowess depending on their being above or below the age of 9, and the degree of punishment, or not, for adult sodomizers of minor boys depending on the age of the victim.
Chapter 13: provides selected quotes from 20th and 21st century secondary Jewish sources discussing the halacha (Judaic laws) concerning the marriage of minors and the extent of the practice of minor marriage in Jewish communities throughout history from the time the Talmud was written to the early 20th century.
Chapter 14: briefly shows Jews resisting child abuse and paedophilia in modern times.
Chapter 15: I will conclude the evidence presented, my personal thoughts, advice and warnings.
Appendix 1: Full Talmud text of rabbis discussing child sex and pregnancy concerning a Gentile girl called Yustina.
Appendix 2: Full Talmud text where the rabbis discuss the young age of some Biblical characters when they became fathers or mothers, including 6 year old Bathsheba.
Appendix 3: Selection of over 150 Talmud quotes of laws, rules and instructions constructed by the rabbis to manage the institution of the marriage of minor girls and boys. Links provided to aid further study.
Appendix 4: Selection of over 100 quotes from the law code of Rabbi Maimonides called Mishneh Torah validating the correct understanding of the Talmud statements regarding marriage and sex with pre-pubescent children. Links provided to aid further study.
Appendix 5: Selection of over 80 quotes from the law code of Rabbi Karo called Shulchan Aruch validating the correct understanding of the Talmud statements regarding marriage and sex with pre-pubescent children. Links provided to aid further study.
Judaism Index ☚ ❘ ☛ Chapter 1
Published: 10 April 2024
