| REBECCA/REBEKAH | |
 THE CULTURAL SETTING FOR THIS STORY The laws of Hammurabi, a famous law-maker and king of Babylonia, provide insights into the lives of women in this period. There were laws to
Another source of information about women and their lives was provided by love poems and lullabies of this period. It was probably in this period that women enjoyed greatest freedom and prestige. The stories in Genesis and Exodus showed them as independent and strong, smart and tough. They displayed leadership and initiative. They almost always got their way when they wanted something. Rebecca, for example, is clearly in charge of her own destiny, both in deciding on her own future, and in shaping the future of her clan. This was probably because women were necessary for the survival of the tribe, and they knew it. They did a wide range of tasks, without which the clan or family simply could not have managed. They moved freely in society, and were not confined within the home. The Bible stories show that they spoke and acted confidently. As well, women played an active role in religious matters. The concept of monotheism was just beginning to develop, but many women probably worshipped a fertility goddess, the Great Mother, source of plant, animal and human life. Ancient Near Eastern religions certainly had fertility of the soil and animal life as one of their main focuses, with priestesses who served the forces of Nature (the power of river and rain water, abundance of crops and animals, etc.) For additional information on the lives of women in the Bible, see the links to THE STORY OF REBECCA Rebecca means a heifer, a young cow; this was a symbol of fertility Jacob means he who grabs for something; either his brother's heel at the moment of birth, or his brother's inheritance later on Esau was nicknamed Edom, which meant red either of complexion or hair; Esau was born with a ruddy complexion, then spent most of his time outdoors in the sun, so his face and skin may have been unusually reddened.
What the story is about: This story shows the gradual fulfillment of the promise made by God, that Sarah and Abraham would have many descendents, enough to become a nation. The story of Rebecca contains three different episodes in Jewish history: 1 the betrothal and marriage of Rebecca (Genesis 24). Rebecca is introduced as a brave and resourceful young woman; she impressed all the people who met her. She was a good match for Isaac. 2 the birth and youth of Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:19-34). Rebecca gave birth to two sons with very different temperaments. The conflict between them was the basis for conflict between later generations and nations. 3 Rebecca and the blessing of Isaac (Genesis 27). Rebecca manipulated the situation so that the tribe would be led by an intelligent man rather than a popular but shallow man, so that decisions for the tribe would be based on wisdom rather than impulse or emotion.
Rebecca at the well
THE BETROTHAL AND MARRIAGE OF REBECCA Rebecca was the young woman who became the wife of Isaac, Sarah's son. She came from a well-to-do family in upper Mesopotamia, now northeastern Syria. She was a relative of Abraham; her family background is given in Genesis 22:20-23. Rebecca was beautiful, shrewd, energetic, physically robust and strong-willed. We first meet her at the well of Aram-naharaim, where she showed that she was willing to work, and confident enough to speak without fear to the strangers who came had been sent by Abraham to find a wife for Isaac. Before he had finished speaking, there was Rebecca. Coming out with her water jar on her shoulder. The girl was very fair to look upon, a young girl, whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. Read Genesis 24:1-27.
Rebecca impressed Abraham's men who had stopped to rest at the well. They offered her valuable gifts, including a gold nose-ring and two gold bracelets, which she accepted. There are two types of gifts mentioned in this story, both related to marriage customs of the time:
Gold earrings from Mycenae, made at about the time that Rebecca lived
Rebecca led the men to her home, to introduce them to her family. Her brother Laban spoke as head of the house, inviting them to stay in his household. This suggests that their father Bethuel was alive, but for some reason was incapable of acting as head of the household. A proposal of marriage, on behalf of Isaac, was made. It was accepted by Rebecca and by her family. And they called Rebecca and said to her "Will you go with this man?" She said "I will." So they sent away their sister Rebecca and her nurse along with Abraham's servant and his man, and they blessed Rebecca. The description of Rebecca's betrothal and marriage gives a fair picture of marriage practices among the early Hebrew people:
Rebecca had more say in whom she married than Isaac, her future husband, did. Genesis 24:8 suggests that the marriage would not have gone ahead without her consent, but Isaac is expected to marry the woman brought home to him by his father's agents. Read Genesis 24:28-61 As she faced the journey to her new home, she seemed sure of her own judgment, and ready for this daunting new experience. Her journey took her from upper Mesopotamia, in what is now northeastern Syria, to Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev, a distance of about eight or nine hundred kilometers. When Rebecca and Isaac met, it seems to have been love at first sight. Read Genesis 24:62-67. Isaac took his bride-to-be into the tent of his mother. Sarah must have been very old by now, and if she suspected she was to die soon, it may have been she who initiated the plan to get a wife for Isaac. The phrase "Isaac loved her" is used, something most unusual for the biblical text. Then Sarah died, and Rebecca comforted Isaac after his mother's death; the deep bond that Isaac had with Sarah was replaced by his love for Rebecca. This biblical story has an and they lived happy ever after feel about it.
A modern sculpture, 'Jacob and Esau', by Charles Sherman
THE BIRTH AND YOUTH OF ESAU AND JACOB Despite her beauty, and despite Isaac's love for her, Rebecca did not an easy time of it. She did not conceive for quite some years, and this was considered both a personal misfortune and a sign that she was not favored by God. Eventually however she became pregnant, but even then things were not plain sailing. She had a difficult pregnancy, since the two babies inside her were constantly moving, so that she had no peace. Like many women before and since, she wondered what she had got herself into. So she went to enquire of the Lord. Rebecca was the first woman we hear of who sought God out and asked him for some explanation of her condition. This shows her initiative and self-confidence. The method she used to speak with God is not explained, but a common practice in the ancient world was to consult a prophet or oracle. Rebecca may have followed this practice or, as in Numbers 12:6, the message may have come to her in a dream. God told her that Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger. Read Genesis 25:19-23
Rebecca had twin sons. The struggle in her womb had been a sign that there was to be
When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle, so they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau's heel, so he was named Jacob. Read Genesis 25:24-28 From the start, Esau was a man's man, good at hunting and outdoors activities, confident, careless, unconcerned. He had a good relationship with his father. He married two Hittite (non-Hebrew) women who did not get on well with Rebecca and Isaac (see Genesis 26:34-35). Jacob was quiet, more thoughtful, more interested in learning. He did not particularly enjoy outdoors activities. He depended on his intelligence and his wits rather than on brute strength. The clash between these two young men echoes the continuing struggle between the nomadic hunter and the settled agriculturalist, as related in the story of Cain and Abel (see Retelling the story of Eve). REBECCA AND THE BLESSING OF ISAAC One day, Esau carelessly gave up his birthright, half of his inheritance, to his younger twin Jacob. On the death of the father, property was divided in equal shares between the sons, but the eldest son got a double portion. This was called the ‘birthright’ of the eldest. Thus in a family of two sons, the elder would get two-thirds, the young would get one-third. Daughters had already received their inheritance in the form of a dowry. In the story of the stew, Esau gave up his right to a double portion and transferred this right to Jacob. In Genesis 26 there is a story involving Rebecca and King Abimelech in Gerar. It is similar to one involving Sarah, in Genesis 20. The episode is really about water rights in the area, essential to a nomadic people. In the section involving Rebecca (26:1-11), all Rebecca's actions suggest that she was active, not passive, a planner and doer, not a victim. So the episode with Abimelech is likely to have resulted from co-operation between her and Isaac. Indeed, judging from other events in her life, the plan may have originated with her. After this, we learn of Judith and Basemath, Esau's Hittite wives who made life bitter for Rebecca and Isaac (Genesis 26:34-35). The anger of Judith and Basemath was understandable. In their eyes, their husband should have been in line to inherit a double portion of Jacob's possessions, which he would not now receive. They overlooked the fact that it was their husband's fault that this was so, and took out their anger on their in-laws. But the story suggests that the real reason for this grubby behavior lay in their origins. They were foreigners, with foreign gods and customs. To the writers of the biblical text, this meant they could never be suitable wives for Hebrew men. When Isaac was very old, he realized that it was nearly time for him to die. This meant that he should give his formal Blessing to the son he wanted to succeed him. In ancient Hebrew tribes, the Blessing meant the handing over of legal power to a successor. It was more valuable than any amount of property. The person who received the Blessing had authority over the whole clan, even over people who were older than himself. If Jacob had the Blessing, he would govern the tribe after Isaac’s death. But Esau was Isaac's favorite son. He had many of the qualities that Isaac seemed to lack: he was hearty, carefree, a good hunter, and physically strong. The question was: would he be the best person to govern the tribe after Jacob's death? Rebecca did not think so. She believed that the quiet, intelligent Jacob would do a better job. She therefore colluded with her younger son, and under her direction, Jacob tricked his dying father into giving the Blessing to him. Then Rebecca took the best garments of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob; and she put the skins of the kids on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. In the modern world, we admire honesty and integrity. The actions of Rebecca and Jacob seem underhand to us. In ancient times, however, this duo of schemers would have been admired. Trickery and cunning were valued, because the world was dangerous and unpredictable, and people needed every advantage they could get, just to survive. Rebecca may have hated what she had to do but it was necessary, given Esau's foolishness and the long term effect it would have on the tribe. Read Genesis 27:1-40 Rebecca had developed from a beautiful, confident young girl into a far-sighted and shrewd woman. She chose the son she believed was more capable of governing the clan. But some questions must be asked:
Now Esau hated Jacob because of the Blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself "The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob". But the words of her elder son Esau were told to Rebecca. Esau was enraged, as well he might be. He had been betrayed by his mother and his brother, and lost the inheritance that was due to him, his birthright and the Blessing. He planned to kill Jacob as soon as his father died. Once again, Rebecca stepped in. She helped Jacob escape. She also maneuvered Isaac into arranging a marriage between Jacob and one of the daughters of Laban, the brother she had left so many years ago in Mesopotamia. Summary Often, this story is overlooked or neglected. It tells about a woman who deceived and got the better of her dying husband, and this makes people uncomfortable. They would prefer to read about characters who are clearly good or bad, with no ambiguities in their behavior. But this is not how people really are, and it is one of the strengths of the biblical material that it shows the good and bad in all human nature. The story of Rebecca shows that women can feel ambition, can love greatly, can deceive, and be self-sacrificing. The nature of the person shapes what they are, not their gender. Rebecca was a leader of people and an organizer of the future. It did not matter that she was a woman. She used the abilities she had, in the best way that she could.  
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A pair of ancient Persian gold bracelets, perhaps similar to the ones Rebecca received
