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For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.
The book of Ruth, a unique narrative situated in the period of the judges, is widely regarded by scholars as a composition from the post-exilic era. I align with those who argue that it was authored as a counter-narrative to the exclusivist policies in Ezra-Nehemiah, which mandated the dissolution of marriages between Jewish men and non-Jewish women to preserve Jewish identity.
