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-[[File:Hayez A woman as Ruth.jpg|thumb|right|''Portrait of a woman as Ruth'' (c. 1853) by [[Francesco Hayez]]]]
-'''Ruth''' ({{IPAc-en|r|uː|θ}}; {{Hebrew Name|רוּת|Rut|Rūθ}}), is the title character of the [[Book of Ruth]]; along with her mother-in-law [[Naomi (biblical figure)|Naomi]], she is the book's heroine.<ref name=ppp>{{JewishEncyclopedia|article=Ruth|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12947-ruth-book-of}}</ref>
-==Book of Ruth==
-[[File:Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld- Ruth im Feld des Boaz.jpg|thumbnail|upright=1.35| ''Ruth on the fields of Boaz'' by [[Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld]]]]
-[[File:RembrandtBoasRuth.jpg|thumbnail|Boaz and Ruth by [[Rembrandt]]]]
-[[Elimelech]], a man of Bethlehem-judah, with his wife, Naomi, and his two sons, [[Mahlon and Chilion]], went in time of famine and sojourned in the land of [[Moab]].<ref name=ppp/> There Elimelech died, and the two sons married, Mahlon taking Ruth as his wife, and Chilion taking [[Orpah]]—both women of Moab, where both sons likewise died.<ref name=ppp/> Naomi heard that the famine in Judah had passed, and determined to return home.<ref name=ppp/> Ruth, in spite of the dissuasion of Naomi, accompanied her mother-in-law to Bethlehem.<ref name=ppp/> The two women arrived in [[Bethlehem]] at the beginning of barley harvest in a state of dire poverty.<ref name=ppp/> Elimelech had had an inheritance of land among his brethren, but, unless a [[Goel]], could be found, Naomi would be compelled to sell it.<ref name=ppp/> Elimelech had a prosperous relative in Bethlehem whose name was Boaz, and who, like others, was engaged in the harvest.<ref name=ppp/> Naomi sent Ruth to glean in his fields, and, after he had spoken kindly to her and shown her some favors, she, still acting upon the advice of her mother-in-law, approached Boaz at night and put herself in his power.<ref name=ppp/> Boaz was attracted to her, but informed her that there was a kinsman nearer than he who had the first right to redeem the estate of Elimelech, and that it would be necessary for this kinsman to renounce his right before Boaz could proceed in the matter.<ref name=ppp/> Accordingly he called this kinsman to the gate of the city before the elders, and told him of the Ruth's situation and his right to redeem the estate and to marry Ruth.<ref name=ppp/> The kinsman declared that he did not desire to do so, and drew off his shoe in token that he had renounced his rights in favor of Boaz.<ref name=ppp/> Boaz bought the estate from Naomi and married Ruth.<ref name=ppp/> Ruth and Boaz became the parents of [[Obed (biblical figure)|Obed]], who became the father of [[Jesse]], the father of [[David]].<ref name=ppp/>
-[[File:1795-William-Blake-Naomi-entreating-Ruth-Orpah.jpg|thumb|Ruth and Naomi by [[William Blake]]]]
-==Religious interpretations==
-===Jewish perspectives===
-Boaz of Judah blessed Ruth for her extraordinary kindness both to Naomi of Judah, and to the Judean People (Ruth 3:10). "And he [Boaz] said, "May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter; your latest act of kindness is greater than the first, not to follow the young men, whether poor or rich." Commentary of Rashi (c. 1040-1105 CE) regarding the first act of kindness: "that you did with your mother-in-law".
-Ruth's kindness as noted in the Book of Ruth by Boaz is seen in the Jewish Tradition as in rare contradistinction to the peoples of Moab (where Ruth comes from) and Amon in general, who were noted by the Torah for their distinct ''lack'' of kindness. Deut. 23:5: "Because they [the peoples of Amon and Moab] did not greet you with bread and water on the way, when you left Egypt, and because he [the people of Moab] hired Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim against you, to curse you." Rashi notes regarding Israel's travels on the way: "when you were in [a state of] extreme exhaustion."
-According to the [[Ruth Rabbah]], Ruth was Orpah's sister and the two were daughters of [[Eglon (king)|Eglon]], the king of Moab; according to the same text, Eglon was the son of [[Balak]].<ref name=jw>{{cite web|title=Ruth|last=Meir|first=Tamar|url=https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/ruth-midrash-and-aggadah|work=''[[Jewish Women's Archive]]'' |accessdate=November 9, 2017}}</ref> Tamar Meir of the [[Jewish Women's Archive]] writes that Ruth and David being descended from these two men is seen as a "reward" for them.<ref name=jw/>  For Balak, it is his reward for building altars and for Eglon, it is his reward for "arising upon hearing the name of God from Ehud son of Gera".<ref name=jw/>  The same text claims that Ruth did not convert during her marriage to Mahlon, contradicting other rabbinic literature, which claims that Ruth formally converted to Judaism for the sake of marrying Mahlon but did not fully accept the faith until later.<ref name=jw/>
-[[Josephus]] viewed the Book of Ruth as historical and referenced it in his ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Book of Ruth|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13276a.htm|work=[[Catholic Encyclopedia]] |accessdate=November 9, 2017}}</ref> Yitzhak Berger suggests that Naomi's plan was that Ruth [[Seduction|seduce]] Boaz, just as [[Tamar (Genesis)|Tamar]] and [[Lot's daughters]] all seduced "an older family member in order to become the mother of his offspring." At the crucial moment, however, "Ruth abandons the attempt at seduction and instead requests a permanent, ''legal'' union with Boaz."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Berger|first=Yitzhak|title=Ruth and Inner-Biblical Allusion: The Case of 1 Samuel 25|journal=[[Journal of Biblical Literature|JBL]]|year=2009|volume=128|issue=2|page=268}} Emphasis original.</ref>
-===Christian perspectives===
-Ruth is one of five women mentioned in the [[genealogy of Jesus]] found in the [[Gospel of Matthew]], alongside [[Tamar (Genesis)|Tamar]], [[Rahab]], the "wife of [[Uriah the Hittite|Uriah]]" ([[Bathsheba]]), and [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Mary]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Weren|first=Wim J. C.|title=The Five Women in Matthew's Genealogy|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/456981?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents|publisher=[[jSTOR]]|date=1997|accessdate=November 8, 2017}}</ref> [[Katharine Doob Sakenfeld]] argues that Ruth is a model of loving-kindness (''[[hesed]]''): she acts in ways that promote the well-being of others.<ref name=saken>Katherine D. Sakenfeld, ''Ruth'' (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1999), 11–12.</ref> In {{Bibleref2|Ruth 1:8–18}}, she demonstrated ''hesed'' by not going back to Moab but accompanying her mother-in-law to a foreign land.<ref name=saken/> She chose to glean, despite the danger she faced in the field ({{Bibleref2|Ruth 2:15}}) and the lower social status of the job. Finally, Ruth agrees with Naomi’s plan to marry Boaz, even though she was free of family obligations, once again demonstrating her loyalty and obedience ({{Bibleref2|Ruth 3:10}}).<ref name=saken/>
-[[Barry G. Webb|Barry Webb]] argues that in the book, Ruth plays a key role in Naomi's rehabilitation.<ref>[[Barry G. Webb]], ''Five Festal Garments'' (Leicester: Apollos, 2000), 43.</ref>
-Ruth is commemorated as a matriarch in the [[Calendar of Saints (Lutheran)|Calendar of Saints]] of the [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] on July 16.
-== Tomb of Ruth ==
-{{Main|Tomb of Jesse and Ruth}}
-[[File:The tomb of Jesse and Ruth (7705253158).jpg|thumb|Tomb of Jesse and Ruth in Hebron]]
-[[Franciscus Quaresmius|Francesco Quaresmi]] in the early 17th century reported that Turks and Orientals generally believed that the structure contained the tombs of Jesse and Ruth.<ref>[[Claude Reignier Conder]], [[Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener|Herbert Kitchener]],[https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp03conduoft#page/327/mode/1up ''The Survey of Western Palestine: Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology,''] [[Palestine Exploration Fund|Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund]], London, 1883, Vol 3 pp.327-8.</ref><ref name="FQ" >[[Franciscus Quaresmius]], [https://archive.org/stream/bub_gb_CrAKMPCOumwC#page/n805/mode/1up ''Historica theologica et moralis Terrae Sanctae,''] 1639, vol 2 p.782.</ref> According to [[Moshe Sharon]], the association of the site with Ruth is very late, starting in the 19th century.<ref name ="MSharon">[[Moshe Sharon]], [https://books.google.com/books?id=X1uNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA47 ''Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae, '' Vol 5, H-I BRILL, 2013 pp. 45–52.]</ref> It receives numerous visitors every year, especially on the Jewish holiday of [[Shavuot]], when the Book of Ruth is read.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Converts pay homage to Ruth at her Hebron tomb|url = http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Converts-pay-homage-to-Ruth-at-her-Hebron-tomb|website = The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com|access-date = 2016-01-28}}</ref> Haim Horwitz in his 1835 book on Israeli holy sites ''Love of Jerusalem''<ref>{{Cite web|title = HebrewBooks.org Sefer Detail: חבת ירושלים – הורביץ, חיים בן דבריש|url = http://www.hebrewbooks.org/32382|website = www.hebrewbooks.org|access-date = 2016-01-28}}'''page needed'''</ref> discusses the oral tradition that the tomb houses the grave of Ruth as well as that of Jesse, who is mentioned in earlier writings. Menachem Mendel of Kamenitz<ref>{{Cite web|title = The first Holy Land hotelier|url = http://www.jpost.com/Local-Israel/In-Jerusalem/The-first-Holy-Land-hotelier|website = The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com|access-date = 2016-01-28}}</ref> wrote in 1839, "Also in the vineyard was a shelter with 2 graves: one of Jesse, father of David, and one of Ruth, the Moabite."<ref>{{Cite book|title = Book of the Occurrences o f the Times to Jeshurun in the Land of Israel |first1=David G. |last1=Cook |first2=Sol P. |last2=Cohen|url = http://repository.upenn.edu/miscellaneous_papers/10/|publisher = repository.upenn.edu|access-date = 2016-01-28}}</ref>
-==Cultural influence==
-Ruth is one of the Five Heroines of the [[Order of the Eastern Star]].
-Ruth was played by [[Elana Eden]] in [[Henry Koster]]'s ''[[The Story of Ruth]]'' (1960); the film depicts Ruth as a pagan priestess prior to her religious conversion.<ref name=nyt>{{cite web|first=Bosley|last=Crowther|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B06EFDF143FE333A2575BC1A9609C946191D6CF|title=Screen: 'Story of Ruth':Biblical Tale Opens at Two Theatres|date=December 22, 1960 |work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=November 9, 2017}}</ref> Sherry Morris portrayed her in ''[[The Book of Ruth: Journey of Faith]]'' (2009).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_book_of_ruth_journey_of_faith?|title=The Book of Ruth: Journey of Faith (2009)|work=''[[Rotten Tomatoes]]''|accessdate=November 9, 2017}}</ref>
-==Genealogy: the descent of David from Ruth==
-{{familytree/start}}
-{{familytree | |F|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|7| | | | | | | | | }}
-{{familytree | |:| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ELI |y| NAO | | | | ELI=[[Elimelech]]| NAO=[[Naomi (biblical figure)|Naomi]]|}}
-{{familytree | |:| | | | | | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|-|.| | }}
-{{familytree | BOA |~|y|~| RUT |~|~|~| MAH | | | | ORP |~|~|~| CHIL | BOA=[[Boaz]]| RUT='''Ruth'''| MAH=[[Mahlon and Chilion|Mahlon]]| ORP=[[Orpah]]| CHIL=[[Mahlon and Chilion|Chilion]]|}}
-{{familytree | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | }}
-{{familytree | | | | OBE | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | OBE=[[Obed (biblical figure)|Obed]]|}}
-{{familytree | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | }}
-{{familytree | | | | JES | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | JES=[[Jesse]]|}}
-{{familytree | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | }}
-{{familytree | | | | DAV | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | DAV=[[David]]|}}
-{{familytree/end}}
-==See also==
-{{Portal|Lists}}
-*[[List of artifacts significant to the Bible]]
-*[[List of mausolea]]
-*[[Lives of the Prophets]]
-*[[Ohel (grave)]]
-== References ==
-{{Reflist|30em}}
-== External links ==
-{{commons category|Ruth}}
-{{commons category|Tombs and graves of saintly people in Judaism}}
-{{Holy sites in Judaism}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruth}}
-[[Category:Biblical geography]]
-[[Category:Book of Ruth]]
-[[Category:Christian female saints from the Old Testament]]
-[[Category:Converts to Judaism from paganism]]
-[[Category:Jewish pilgrimage sites]]
-[[Category:Lists of burials by place| Biblical]]
-[[Category:Lists of tombs|Biblical figures]]
-[[Category:Mausoleums]]
-[[Category:Moab]]
-[[Category:People celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendar]]
-[[Category:People from Bethlehem]]
-[[Category:Women in the Hebrew Bible]]