THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
525
Icgitiimicy "f David's cluim t(i royalty was (lisputc'd on account of his descent from Kutli, the
tlif
Moabitc; whcniipon Itlira, the Ismelite (II Sam. xvii. 2i5; compare I Chron, ii. 17), girt with liis sword, strode like an Ishmaelite into the schoolhouse of Jesse, declarini; upon llie autliority of Samuel, the propliet, and his bet din (court of justice), that the law <'Xcluilinjr the Ammonite and Moabite from the Jewish congregation referred only to the men who alone had sinned in not meeting Israel with bread and water anil not to the women. The story reflects actual conditions in pre Talmuilic times, con-
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ditions that led to the ti.xed rule staled in the .Mislinah
Ammon
Aznnon of Mayence
was accomplished in the course of a shee|)shearing feast, given by Absalom to all the kings sons {ih. 23-29 ('< wq.) two years after the commission of Amnon's offense. J. F. McC. In Rabbinical Liiterattire The sages of the Mishnah iioint out that Amnnn's love for Tamar,
from true afTection, but from passion and lust, on which account, after having attaiueil his desire, he immediately "hated her exceedingly." "AH love which depends upon his half sister, did not arise
some particular thing ceases when that thing ceases; thus was the love of Amnon for Tamar " Ab. v. 16). Anmon's love for Tamar was not, however, such a (
Gknkral View or tbk Euins OF THE Roman theater at Amuon. (From R pLotuKTi >pll by
(Yeb.
"Ammonite and Moabite men are exfrom the Jewish comnumity for all time; their
viii. 3):
clud<'d
woTuen are admissible."
The
fact
that Heholioam. the son of
mon, was born of an Anuiionile woman
(I
King
Solo-
Kings, xiv.
also made it dillicult to maintain the M(s.sianic claims of the house of David but it was ailducedas an illuslnition of divine Providence which .selected the "two doves," Hulh. the ^loabile. and Niuimah. the Ammonitess, for lionond)le distinction (H. K. K. yW). ("Slendfa-st"): 1. The eldest son of David and .hinoam. Ilic> Jezreelitess (II Sam. iii. 2). As heir preswniplive to the throne he was an object of envy anil dislike to AnsM.o.M. The dishonor done by Aiinion to his half sister Tamar the full sisti'rof 21-;tl
)
AMNON
Absalom
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Sam. xiii. 1 it «•</.) inlensitied these feelings and gave the younger brother a plausible justitlcation for the murder of the olleuder, w hicb (II
IkinHIi.)
transgression as is usually supposed: for. although she was a daughter of David, her mother was a prisoner of war, wiio had not yet become a Jewess; ei>nsei|Uently, Taniaralso had not entered the Jewish community (Sanli. 21i(). The incident of Anmonand
Tamar was
utilized by ihesagesasafTording ju.stilieation for their rule that a man mu.st on no account re-
main alone in he company of a woman, not even of an unmarried one (Sanh. I.r. it «(/.). L. G. 2. A son of Shimon, mentioned in I Chron. iv. 20. J. F. McC. I
AMNON OF MAYENCE (MENTZ)
Subject
raihc viry popular. It treats of I{. . uion. a wealthy and respected Jew of Mayence, whom the archbishop of Mayence, at various limes, tried to convert to Christianity. On one occasion .Vmnon evasively a.sked to be given three When he failed to days' lime for consideration. appear ou the appointed day, the archbishop had of a
iMi'dii'val liL'iiid llial b>
