Ruth

a book of the Old Testament. The name is Hebrew, meaning a friend. The authorship and date of its composition are unknown, but it belongs evidently to the period in which Hebrew literature was at its best. In modern literature it would be considered a charming romance. The central figure is Ruth, a Moabitess, who becomes attached to her mother-in-law, Naomi, in the land of Moab. On the death of her husband and Naomi's decision to return to Palestine, Ruth declares that she will return with her. "And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me." Here she attracted the attention of her husband's kinsman, Boaz, who later took her to wife. Ruth was the great grandmother of David, and thus the ancestor of Mary, the mother of Christ. See Bible