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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?

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  • In tanach: he.wikipedia.org/wiki/…
    – Yoni
    May 28, 2014 at 15:49
  • 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.
    – DanF
    May 28, 2014 at 18:51
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    It 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). Oct 1, 2014 at 1:21
  • @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.
    – Daniel
    Feb 1, 2016 at 19:38
  • Yael was a ger toshav (giyores tosheves?) according to the yalkut shimoni.
    – user6591
    Feb 1, 2016 at 20:14

2 Answers 2

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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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    Fn 2 judaism.stackexchange.com/a/71839/759
    – Double AA
    Dec 6, 2020 at 14:40
  • @DoubleAA Thanks!
    – Harel13
    Dec 6, 2020 at 14:49
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    Don't forget Shimshon's wives. And Izevel is called a convert by the Rambam (somewhere in Mishna Torah).
    – Mordechai
    Dec 15, 2020 at 12:50
  • @Mordechai Thank you, I added in the wives of Shimshon.
    – Harel13
    Dec 15, 2020 at 12:59
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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.

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  • Did Yehudah teach her the laws of avoiding harlots and harlotry?
    – Aaron
    Oct 13, 2021 at 19:19
  • Was Shua the father in law or the wife?
    – Chatzkel
    Oct 14, 2021 at 13:24

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