Abstract: The Non-Linearity of the Matrilineal Principle ⒌1 Introduction ⒌2 The Freeing of the Hebrew amah at Puberty ⒌⒉1 Pentateuchal Rules on the Acquisition and Manumission of Slaves ⒌⒉2 The Mishnaic Manumission Scheme for Hebrew Females ⒌⒉3 The "Manumission List" in Midreshei Halakhah ⒌⒉4 The Manumission List in bQiddushin 18a ⒌⒉⒋A."Against His/Her Will" כרחה( בעל -כרחו )בעל ⒌⒉⒋B Diminution of Purchase Price )גרעון( or Death of Master האדון( )מיתת ⒌⒉5 Conclusion ⒌3 The Interaction of Slavery and Nationality ⒌⒊1 Levitucus 25 and the "Ethnic" Differentiation of Slaves ⒌⒊2 Sifra Behar parshah 6 and its Parallels ⒌⒊3 Conclusion ⒌4 Tosefta Qiddushin 5:11: "Symmetrical" Inheritance of Mamzerut?⒌5 Variability in Genealogical Thinking CHAPTER 6 Rabbinic Interpretations of Leviticus 19:20-22 ⒍1 The Significance of Parallel Baraitot ⒍2 Mishnah Kereitot 2:4b-6 ⒍3 Tosefta Kereitot 1:16-18 ⒍4 Sifra Qedoshim pereq 5 ⒍⒋1 Overview of the Text ⒍⒋2 Sifra's Interpretation of Leviticus 19:20 ⒍⒋⒉A The Age of the Parties ⒍⒋⒉B The Nature of the Offence ⒍⒋⒉C The Identity of the shifḥah neḥerefet (the "Intermarriage Baraita") ⒍⒋⒉D The Creation of a "Half-Slave" ⒍⒋⒉E The Punishment of the Woman ⒍⒋⒉F The Necessity of a Deed of Manumission ⒍⒋⒉G The Punishment of the Male ⒍⒋⒉H Further Specification of the Nature of the Offence ⒍⒋⒉I The Summary Section ⒍5 Assessing the Parallel Texts ⒍⒌1 General Considerations Between Mishnah and Tosea ⒍⒌2 General Considerations between Sifra and Tosea ⒍⒌3 The "Intermarriage" Pericope ⒍⒌4 The Priority of the Tosea Passage ⒍⒌5 Conclusion ⒍6 Excursus: The Existence of a Half-Slave, Half-Free Status CHAPTER 7 Literature in Support of Law: The Problem of Bilhah and Zilpah ⒎1 The Dilemma ⒎2 Biblical References to Bilhah and Zilpah ⒎3 Early Postbiblical References ⒎⒊1 לחנה in Onkelos as a Cognate of the Akkadian laḫḫi/anatu, "Female Subordinate" ⒎⒊2 The Relationship between Targum Onkelos and Josephus ⒎4 Bilhah and Zilpah as "Matriarchs" ⒎5 The Genealogy of Bilhah and Zilpah ⒎⒌1 The Aḥiyot Tradition ⒎⒌⒈A The Naming Speech ⒎⒌⒈B Channels of Transmission ⒎⒌2 The Lavan Tradition ⒎6 Conclusion CONCLUSION