(fl. ?19th-16th cent BCE)
Second son of Judah and Shua (Genesis 38:2-4; 46:12; Numbers 26:19). After the death of his brother Er, his father instructed him to marry his childless sister-in-law, Tamar. He refused to fulfil his duty, and would not consummate the marriage. His conduct was viewed as abhorrent, and God took his life (Genesis 38:8- 10).
Dictionary of Jewish Biography. Dan Cohn-Sherbok.