When Tamar’s husbands died, her father-in-law was required under cultural custom to give her as a wife to his youngest son. Although understandably repulsive to modern readers, this served to protect women, as the most vulnerable, since the firstborn of the living brother would be considered a child of the deceased brother and therefore entitled to a share of the inheritance. Judah didn’t fulfill his obligation to her, so she dressed up as a prostitute and made herself available for his advances while he was traveling. This painting depicts Judah approaching Tamar by the side of the road (Gen 38:16). When his actions were discovered as a result of her pregnancy by Judah, he declared, “She is more in the right than I, because I did not give her to my son Shelah” (Gen 38:24–26).