# Judaism, abortion and the Messiah.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judaism-abortion-and-the-messiah/271991>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 30, 2004, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judaism-abortion-and-the-messiah/271991 "2004-10-30T06:20:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/judaism-abortion-and-the-messiah/271991/41 "2004-11-02T02:41:37Z")

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> [@Captain Amazing](#):
>
> The Messiah can’t be a Kohen or Levite because he has to be a descendant in the male line from King David, who was of the tribe of Judah. In Judaism your tribal status was/is passed down from father to son. After the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed, the only two tribes that still existed were the tribes of Judah and Levi.

Or Benjamin, which also remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty when the kingdom split after Solomon’s death. There is a significant possibility that any non-Kohen or Levite is from Benjamin as well (although I’ll concede that the greater probability is from Judah).

Zev Steinhardt

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