Genesis 38

Was it okay with Jacob that Judah left and married a Canaanite?

Again with the deception. Onan would not give Tamar children for his brother Er. Er and Onan were both evidently so wicked that the Lord put them to death. Judah sent Tamar away to try to keep her from his last son Shelah. Tamar seduced Judah while in disguise as a prostitute to get a child that was rightfully hers from Judah's family.

Now, I realize that temple prostitutes were commonplace and widely used as a form of "worship". I would have thought temple prostitutes would have been off limits to the sons of Jacob and the rest of the line of Abraham. I understand Judah's wife had died, but I don't think that justifies going to a prostitute ... religiously sanctioned or not. Temple prostitutes would be off limits (above and beyond a non-temple prostitute) because they were a form of worship to other gods.

It is interesting that so many twins were born 'out of order' so to speak. How different was birthing back then? How are all these hands popping out and going back in? It has been my experience that most babies come out head first, not reaching out with their arms to have a hand come out first.