Asuba

Asuba is a woman mentioned in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles. She was the wife of Caleb, son of Hezron, and thus belongs to one of the earliest generations in the tribe of Judah – Hezron was the grandson of the patriarch Judah himself. Asuba bore three sons to Caleb: Jered, Shobab, and Ardon (1 Chron 2:18–19). Her Hebrew name ('Azuvah, עֲזוּבָה) means 'forsaken' or 'desolate'. After Asuba died, Caleb took Ephrath as his wife, and she bore Hur – ancestor of, among others, Bezalel, the skilled craftsman who oversaw the decoration of the tabernacle. It is worth noting that this Caleb is not identical to the more well-known Caleb, son of Jephunneh, who was one of the spies in Canaan. The text in 1 Chron 2:18 also raises textual-critical questions about the relationship between Asuba and the otherwise unknown Jerioth, showing that even brief genealogical notes can contain complex interpretive issues. Asuba's place in the genealogy marks an important branching point in the tribe of Judah and highlights how women in these lists function as connecting points for the various lines of the tribe.