The only "obvious" convert mentioned in the Bible that I can think of is Ruth. I am looking for a list of converts mentioned in the Bible as well as those named in the Mishna and Gemarrah. Is there such a consolidated list?
Where can I find a consolidated list of converts who are mentioned in the Bible, Mishnah and Talmud?
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In tanach: he.wikipedia.org/wiki/…– YoniMay 28, 2014 at 15:49
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Thanks @Yoni. My Hebrew is decent but up to a point. Any idea if there is an English equivalent of this site. If not, I may be able to run the translator on it, though, as you may know, it's not too accurate. Hmmm ... someoen will have to invent a "Yeshivish" translation.– DanFMay 28, 2014 at 18:51
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1It just says "Category: Gerim (converts) in the Tanach: Mother of Sisera (the general killed by Yael after he lost to Devorah), Yisro, Eirev Rav (mixed multitude that left Egypt with the Israelites), Orpah (sister-in-law of Ruth who went back), Tziporah (wife of Moshe), Ruth, Rachav (innkeeper who hid Yehoshua's spies in Yericho and married Yehoshua after the conquest).– sabbahillelOct 1, 2014 at 1:21
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@DanF Most of the articles that are included in that category have English versions. If you click through to the individual articles, the link to the English version is on the right side of the page.– DanielFeb 1, 2016 at 19:38
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Yael was a ger toshav (giyores tosheves?) according to the yalkut shimoni.– user6591Feb 1, 2016 at 20:14
2 Answers
Wikipedia, as mentioned in the comments, brings a partial list of Tanach figures:
Bnei Avdei Shlomo
The Givonim
Yitro
Ovadiah the prophet
Erev Rav
Orpah1
Tzipporah
Ruth
Rachav (likely her family as well)
Shimrit the Moabite
To these I'll add:
Bityah, daughter of Pharaoh
Yitra Hayishmaeli/Hayisraeli
Shim'at the Amonite
The Amalekite ger
Yarcha the Egyptian ex-slave
The foreign wives of King Shlomo
Izevel (most likely2)
Bnei Rechav (according to some views)
Nevuzardan
Do'eg the Edomite (according to some views)
Uriah the Chitite (according to some views)
Ma'acha, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, wife of David and mother of Avshalom and Tamar
Shimshon's wives
Na'aman (according to some views)
I think that's it.
Wikipedia also brings a list of Mishnah/Gemara gers:
Avtalyon
Onkelos
Queen Heleni
Munbaz II
Minyamin
Aqilas the ger
K'ti'ah bar Shalum
Shma'ayah
To these I'll add:
Descendants of Haman
Descendants of Sisra
Descendants of Sancheriv3
The Roman general Neron Caesar
The parents or ancestors of Rabbi Akiva
The three converts who came to Hillel
The wife of Turnus Rufus4
Baitos, brother of Munbaz, son of Talmai
Yehudah the Amonite ger (Yadaim 4:4)
There may be more, though.
1 I assume this is based on the opinion that the Alshech on Ruth brings, that Machlon and Chelyon not only held that Moabite women could be converted, but a beit din of two was enough (after Elimelech died, they were only two Jewish men in S'deh Moav) and proceeded to convert both Ruth and Orpah, and what happened subsequently in Beit Lechem was a need to re-convert Ruth because the halacha hadn't been agreed upon yet.
2 Recently I saw somewhere (don't remember where, unfortunately), that though it doesn't ever say explicitly that she was the mother of Achav's children, she is the most likely candidate for a number of reasons, the main one being that no other wives of Achav are mentioned. For more info, see here and here.
3 Though these might only include Shma'ayah and Avtalyon.
4 Likely Claudia Rufina, though in the conversion story she isn't mentioned by name. Claudia Rufina is mentioned as "Rufina" in Tanchuma Trumah 3).
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1Don't forget Shimshon's wives. And Izevel is called a convert by the Rambam (somewhere in Mishna Torah). Dec 15, 2020 at 12:50
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Just one more to add to @Harel13's very comprehensive list.
Shua the wife of Yehuda.
It says in Bereishis 38:2:
וַיַּרְא־שָׁ֧ם יְהוּדָ֛ה בַּת־אִ֥ישׁ כְּנַעֲנִ֖י וּשְׁמ֣וֹ שׁ֑וּעַ וַיִּקָּחֶ֖הָ וַיָּבֹ֥א אֵלֶֽיהָ׃
There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and cohabited with her.
Targum Yonasan there writes:
וַחֲמָא תַמָן יְהוּדָה בְּרַת גְבַר תַּגָר וּשְׁמֵיהּ שׁוּעַ וְגַיְירָהּ וְעַל לְוָתָהּ
That Yehuda saw there the daughter of a merchant man whose name was Shua, and he proselyted her, and entered with her.