... foremost of which is Ruth had a function to forge a bridging point between and among such factions. Since this safeguards the very existence of the Jewish nation. Ruth came from a relatively "closed" society. The Jews were always throughout their history a relatively inward focus nation, particularly within the highly turbulent and politically vulnerable Middle East region. Within this context Ruth had a two-fold political role on the one hand to ensure the internal unity of the Hebrews and to safeguard their existence vis-à-vis the highly quarrelsome and hazardous Semitic neighbours. One has to distinguish between the private family life of Ruth, and her wider social orientated life. Some scholars argue that those two dimensions are directly overlapping. Ruth was the wife of Mahlon, where father Elimelch had settled in the land of Moab. On the death of Elimech and Mahlon, Naomi came with Ruth, her daughter in-law. The latter refused to ...

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