Deedat kindly gives us a dictionary definition of what is incest is. Maybe the definition has been modified by Collins from the edition he used but it also clarifies it by saying “between persons too closely related to marry legally.” So in other words, too closely related by blood. That would mean that strictly speaking the incident between Reuben and Bilhah, and that between Judah and Tamar would not meet the criteria.

That said, both incidents are abhorrent and Lot’s relationship with his two daughters besides being beyond any doubt, incest, is abhorrent in the extreme. No one is denying these facts. So what is Deedat’s point? He doesn’t have a valid point – he is just being deceptive and implying that because it is in the Bible then the Bible is justifying such behaviour. I am pretty sure that Deedat knew that nowhere does the Bible justify such behaviour and encourage it. Nowhere does it say go and do likewise. The problem is that when Deedat said such things in his big conferences, the listeners would not have been aware of the full facts. Deedat would have known he was being dishonest (because he was told many times) but he didn’t care. It is disturbing to think that he would have deceived thousands of Muslims and kept them from the truth of the Gospel – he will answer for this on the judgement day.

The same comments apply to the other accounts that Deedat refers to. I could go into more detail but I think it suffices to say that all the incidents that Deedat relates are abhorrent to both Christians and Jews alike and Deedat fully knows this.