Inheritance, Inclusion, and Identity in Tobit and the Jewish Diaspora

The book of Tobit is concerned with Jewish identity, and it ties many of its identity markers to the Torah. However, there has been some debate regarding which aspects of Torah were the greatest influence upon Tobit’s author for the purpose of identity construction. This paper analyzes Tobit’s use of 'inheritance' terms, and argues that they are the key to understanding the issues of identity and inclusion in the text. The author of Tobit understood the importance of Torah’s presentation of theological inheritance, but he adopted and adapted inheritance terms to fit the diaspora context of the book’s audience.