Ruth is the title character of the Biblical
Book of Ruth, which tells how she and her mother-in-law
Naomi travelled from
Moab to
Judah. Arriving in
Bethlehem in a state of poverty, Naomi sent Ruth to speak to a prosperous relative named
Boaz and become a
gleaner in his fields. That evening, Ruth put herself in his power, and Boaz later reclaimed the estate of her deceased father-in-law. Boaz and Ruth became great-grandparents of
David, King of Israel.
Shown here is Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld's painting Ruth in Boaz's Field, depicting Ruth as a gleaner with Boaz. Completed in 1828, the work is now in the National Gallery in London.Painting: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld