 Between the violence, war, and destruction and judges and First Samuel is a beautiful tale of fidelity and commitment, a tale we call the Book of Ruth. Ruth is not without its difficulties. It is set in a time with customs and social mores that don't fit our modern sensibilities. Scholars do not agree on its accuracy or the date of its writing. In spite of these difficulties, Ruth has become an important text, a favorite among many Christians and Jews. The text begins with death and ends with birth, begins with isolation, ends with inclusion, begins with bitterness, ends with rejoicing, a testimony to devotion of a woman to her mother-in-law Naomi, a testimony of a Moabite, a foreigner named Ruth.