Many years ago, I heard that in the first century, a Jewish son was not considered an heir until his father considered him ready. Until that time, he was place under the authority of tutors for training. When the father determined he was ready, he was officially claimed as a son and gained the legal advantages of being an heir. Can you confirm whether or not that is true?

ב"ה Shalom Obviously, I can only suggest what I think you may have heard. The Talmud (Kiddushin 42a) states that in the case of orphans who are minors, the Bet Din-the Jewish court- appoints a guardian to look out for his interests and manage the possessions which they inherited as long as they are minors. It is not an issue of training them to be adults. The Talmud views this appointment as Torah law, so though discussed in the Babylonian Talmud by the Amora'im in the 3rd century. All the best