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Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness
of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take
her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter,
to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen:
it is wickedness.
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Leviticus 18:17
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Incest is fairly comprehensively prohibited in Leviticus 18:6-18,
and there was a natural dislike of incest, as of all sexual
activity — though the greatest Christian scholars regarded
it as being at the less serious end of the spectrum. Incest,
even between mother and son, was far less serious than masturbation*.
Much of the Old Testament is also remarkably tolerant of incest.
Most of the key characters in the scriptures were credited with
having participated. Among them were Adam and his family; Noah
and his family; Lot and his daughters (Genesis 19:30-38); Abraham
with Sarah his half-sister (Genesis 20:12); Judah, with his
daughter-in-law Tamar, innocently thinking she was a prostitute
(Genesis 38:6ff); and Amnon who raped his half-sister (another
Tamar — 2 Samuel 13:1-20).
According to Deuteronomy 2:9 and 2:19, God gave the Moabites
and the Ammonites special protection because they were descended
from incestuous couplings — that of Lot and his daughters.
Normal earthly taboos do not seem to apply in Heaven. According
to many Christians, Mary is the bride of Christ as well as his
mother.
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