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Huma (or Homa) was, by all accounts, a beautiful woman. All her husbands had died, one after another. Following the death of her third husband – the celebrated scholar, Amora Abaye – she went to the beit din (Jewish court of law) of his friend, Rava, and said to him: “I’m entitled to an allowance.” And he gave her some money. She said to him: “And what about wine?” he said to her: “I know that Abaye did not drink wine. She said to him: “Actually, he would give me wine in a big glass like this one!” And while showing him the size of the glass with her hands, her bare arm was exposed and an abundance of light filled the court. Rava got out of his chair, went into his house and demanded that his wife make love to him at once. His wife said to him: “Who was just in the court?” he said to her: “Huma, Abaye’s widow.” She then ran after Huma, beat her with a stick until she chased her out of Machoza, and said to her: “You’ve already killed three men and did you come to kill another one?!”
