This name proved to be prophetic, as when Zilpah was toldas a young girlthat she was destined to join Leah in her marriage to the evil Esau, 9 tears would flow down her face. Zilpah bore Leah two sons. Biblical family tree showing Jacob's line. Despite this relationship to Rachel, Dan and Naphtali continue to be considered Bilhahs sons, and that influences their standing in the family. Why did Avraham prefer the daughters of Aner, Eshkol and Mamre over Eliezer's daughter? What is significant about the names Rachel and Leah give their sons? Some of these are easier to swallow than others. How well do you know your Biblical stories? Asked By : David Miller. Rachel, who was Jacob's favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. ), So, eight boys in, it's Leah's turn again! Half sister of Matriarch Rachel / ; Matriarch Leah / ; Chorash . Answer Zilpah was Leah's handmaiden or servant whom Leah gave to her husband, Jacob, as a concubine. A boy can regenerate, so demons eat him for years. Why did US v. Assange skip the court of appeal? Yet, consistently the narrator of Genesis insists that the twelve sons of Jacob had four named mothers: Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah. Amazing Bible Timeline with World History, http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/bilhah-bible, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helladic_period, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Georgian_brides_in_church.jpg. Its my job, as a woman and as a feminist, to continue to integrate feminism into Judaism. Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. What a lovely, thoughtful, and inspiring piece. @CashCow Do you happen to know the source for this opinion? What should I follow, if two altimeters show different altitudes? Zilpah - Wikipedia Both Hagar and Ishmael respond in negative ways to their lesser status, which forfeits Ishmael the inheritance as Abrahams son. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While Leah, Rachels older sister, had given birth to four sons. Zilpah is given to Leah as a handmaid by Leah's father, Laban, upon Leah's marriage to Jacob (see Genesis 29:24, 46:18 ). I thought about how there are two versions of the Amidah in some prayer books, one including the first four matriarchs names, and one without them. Not to be outdone, Leah had a handmaiden too: Zilpah. No matter what the circumstances in which they had the children, they had to have had incredible strength to raise those children in those circumstances. Like Rachel, the sons that Zilpah bore would have been considered to be Leah's and she would have raised them as her own sons. Leah was the mother of Judah. Thank you. [3] Genesis 35:22 expressly calls Bilhah Jacob's concubine, a pilegesh. Being a skinhead in Tulsa Oklahoma meant regular encounters with the police. No longer are Zilpah and Bilhahs children given a shared tent (Gen 31:33) or set in the dangerous frontal position of the caravan (Gen 33:2). Was it the custom for the first wife to have more children than the 2nd wife? It makes me wonder what sort of relationship Rachel and Leah had with them. I really do like the way you've likened it to modern day adoption . Further, Bilhah and Zilpah and their children are clearly placed closest to the danger at Jacob's meeting with Esau (Gen. 33:1, 2, 6). The rabbis fill in details about her life, her relationship with Jacob, and the confusing incident between Bilhah and Reuben, Jacob's eldest son. Zilpah and Bilhah were always cooperative with their mistresses, unlike Hagar. Tammi J. Schneider notes that a shiphchah or a female slave differs from male slaves by also carrying out sexual and procreative functions, as legislated in Leviticus 19:20, raising the question as to whether these same functions are inherent in the type of slavery this term conveys in the current context. Bilhah and Zilpah were the handmaidens (servants) of the patriarch Jacobs wives, Leah and Rachel. Not exactly. And they are not buried in the cave of Machpelah where Leah and other honored family are buried, including Sarah and Rebekah 10Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 7475, 137. Thus, we shall proclaim the following revised celebratory benediction: Praised are You, Lord our God, and the God of our ancestors. rev2023.5.1.43405. And this is how Laban wanted it to remain. ; Beor . I like your take on it, but I guess it always seemed like Bilhah and Zilpah didn't have any choice. He was taken into captivity but redeemed by Laban, Rachel . Their sacrifice reminds me of all the women who make similar sacrifices around the world today. Black Hebrews - Hebrew Igbo How is the difference to be accounted for? For instance, Reuben speaks and acts to dissuade the brothers from killing Joseph (Gen 37:22), Simeon and Levi speak and act after the rape of their sister Dinah (Gen 34:30), Judah speaks and acts on behalf of Benjamin over a stolen cup (Gen 44:18), Joseph speaks and acts by telling his brothers of his dreams of greatness (Gen 37:6), and Benjamin acts to weep with Joseph upon being reunited (Gen 45:14). Laban excused his actions as part of his peoples tradition to always marry the oldest daughter first. Often times bricks were placed under her to give her more support and the midwife knelt in front of her. I had never heard of them before. As the listing of the tribes and children has always been by the identified biological mother, this lack of motherly identification and categorization is thought-provoking. When Rachel was barren for many years and became overwhelmed with jealousy of her sister Leah, Jacobs first wife that had already bore four sons, she gave her servant Bilhah to Jacob to become her surrogate mother. And that is the mindset at the core of any matriarch. Obviously, at some point, some Jews decided that the matriarchs needed to be acknowledged in prayer. As opposed to Isaacs story in which the maid-slave Hagars child is not included in the inheritance, the maid-slaves children are included in the inheritance in Jacobs story. Turns out that he was also shtupping Bilhah at best, his stepmother, at worst, his stepmother AND aunt. Yet they did it out of lovelove for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. At the start of Jacobs story, the Genesis narrator makes it clear that Zilpah and Bilhah are maid-slaves. And the maids apparently must share a tent, whereas the wives have their own (Gen 31:33). I came to realize that being a Jewish feminist means elevating women, those from our sacred texts who have been forgotten like Bilhah and Zilpah, and Jewish women today. Women in Scripture. One last question remains. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. When I asked Sarah who they were, I didnt know that her answer would be my introduction to the intersection between Judaism and feminism, and would influence how I thought about my role in relation to both. Artist unknown. Since Josephs story happens after Rachels death (and possibly Leahs death, since we do not know when she died in Canaan), this may indicate a real change of status for the two maid-slaves. Thus, Zilpah and Bilhah stand in the shadows of their mistresses Leah and Rachel and have been undeservedly unremembered. Is there an obligation to be buried in Jewish Cemetary? [4] He was taken into captivity but redeemed by Laban, Rachel and Leah's father. So when Rachel meant that Bilhah would bear upon her knees she may have been referring to the actual. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. How are engines numbered on Starship and Super Heavy? Avigayil is certainly possible as King David could have had her buried in Tiberias (though why I don't know). Wife of Patriarch Jacob I guess I always felt bad for Bilhah and Zilpah because it didn't really seem like they had any say in the matter. Zilpah and Bilhahs relationship to their mistress changes when first Rachel and then Leah experience barrenness. Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 128.9. And then well consider how to respond to our findings. but doesn't it seem more like two women fighting with each other about who has the most children, forcing their handmaids to lay with their husband, and then claiming their servant's children? She is on the Biblical Timeline Poster between 1754-1704 BC. ( , ): , , ( , ): , ., "And Lavan spoke up and said to Ya'akov, 'The girls are my daughters, and the boys my sons.'" Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. This act caused Reuben to lose his birthright inheritance as pointed out in Genesis 49:3-4. Bilhah and Zilpah were the handmaidens (servants) of the patriarch Jacobs wives, Leah and Rachel. [2] Bilhah gave birth to two sons, whom Rachel claimed as her own and named Dan and Naphtali. Bilhah, whose name is believed to mean bashful or faltering, was given to Rachel as her handmaiden by Laban, Rachels father, when Rachel was given to Jacob as a bride. This was a normal thing for concubines. She carried full term and gave birth via Cesarean section to Finnean, her first grandchild, .". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Matriarchs, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition. Yet they did it out of love--love for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. Maybe she was buried in Egypt. Genesis 35:25 and 26 similarly refer to Bilhah and Zilpah as the ot shefa of Rachel and Leah respectively, while 46:18 and 25 refer to Zilpah and Bilhah as being given by Lavan to Leah and Rachel. They are casualties of nation building. I don't know . It must have been hard, really hard. Tammi J. Schneider notes that a shiphchah or a female slave differs from male slaves by also carrying out sexual and procreative functions, as legislated in Leviticus 19:20, raising the question as to whether these same functions are inherent in the type of slavery this term conveys in the current context. much like their mothers, who, through their humility and forbearance, were eventually able to attain wifely status. What is more, the lack of motherly connection on all fronts seems to indicate that this equal status was no longer given through their adoption by the mistress wives of Jacob. 8 Zilpah means "to flow" ( lezalef ). In Old Testament times this was an acceptable way for a married woman who was barren to gain children. So when Rachel meant that Bilhah would bear upon her knees she may have been referring to the actual position in which she would give birth. Reflecting on this, I now recognize that it was Jewish feminists who have made Judaism more equal for me. This is beautifuland thoughtful writing, Josie. Not exactly. Bilhah and Zilpah's Birth Stories: The Old Testament's Form of Adoption Share Bilhah and Zilpah were the handmaidens (servants) of the patriarch Jacob's wives, Leah and Rachel. After Bilhah bore Rachel two sons Leah found that even though she already had four sons she was no longer able to have children. The manufacture of artifacts from iron was noted. Rachel, who was Jacob's favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. Its a story of the quiet humility of marginalized women whose children have better lives as a result. Also, the scriptural text seems to indicate that the sons Bilhah bore were considered to be Rachels and that she would have raised them as her own. Leah gives birth to four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. . Nonetheless Bilhah and Zilpah would have been able to see their sons every day and their sons would have know that they were their birth mothers. When Rachel died, Jacob moved his bed into the tent of Bilhah, who had been mentored by Rachel, to retain a closeness to his favourite wife. How old were they? Learn facts that you cant learn just from reading the Bible The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. What nation/family there were from and why the Torah does not see the importance of telling us about that? Called Balah in Joshua 19:3, the town was allotted to the tribe of Simeon. Still without a child! And it gets weirder. While Zilpah is a considered a minor Bible character, she was a vessel used to usher in two of the tribes of Israel. Canadian of Polish descent travel to Poland with Canadian passport. The Hebrew word sahnay does not mean hate as the term is used today, but rather conveys the idea of loving less. A better translation would be, when the Lord saw that Leah was loved less or was not as favored, he opened her womb. For you are forgetting Bilhah and Zilpah, Jacob's other two wives. What about Rachel, the hapless, unfortunate, super-hot Rachel?! Zilpah's background is unknown, other than the fact that Zilpah had been one of Laban's servants before Leah's marriage to Jacob. The Bible, ladies and gentlemen! more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilpah. Elizabeth Wyner Mark, The Four Wives of Jacob: Matriarchs Seen and Unseen,. There are some shenanigans with mandrakes (which also involve Jacob's first-born, Reuben; hold that thought), and Rachel finally gives birth! These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. May the God of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the God whose covenant is eternal, bless you and make you fruitful. This image of a woman being supported in a squat by other women is the most common image of women giving birth throughout history and around the world. What did it take for Bilhah and Zilpah to share their children with two other women? The union resulted in two sons, Gad and Asher. avot-patriarch-fathers. While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. After birthing two children each for their mistresses, the maid-slaves wifely, procreative role ended and presumably Jacobs sexual access to them. Zilpah also figures in the competition between Jacob's wives to bear him sons. But the son's that were the most important were the ones that had the birthright, which was Reuben, Leah's firstborn, until he slept with Bilhahthen lost that birthright and then it went to Joseph, Rachel's firstborn. Jacob wanted the super-hot Rachel to have a kid. When the Israelites finally reached Canaan, they conquered it under the leadership of Joshua. In light of their wifely and motherly contributions to creating the Israelite family of Jacob, regardless of their actual status in the narratives, their status as Matriarchs should be upheld and celebrated. Not exactly. Laban gives Zilpah to Leah and Bilhah to Rachel as a maid-slave as part of their wedding dowry (Gen 29:24, 29). As Rachel says, Behold, my amah (servant) Bilhah. Love for their sons, knowing that they were giving them the best position, name, and quality of life possible in their situation. The second son Bilhah bore she named Naphtali and said, "With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed.". In the Book of Genesis, Zilpah was Leah's handmaid, whom Leah gave to Jacob "to wife" to bear him children. Whom were Bilhah and Zilpah descendant? Zilpah gave birth to two sons, whom Leah claimed as her own and named Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:1013). As time has passed, Ive learned about other people whove successfully integrated feminism into their Judaism, the way I want to. New Living Translation These were the sons of Bilhah, the servant given to Rachel by her father, Laban. After Bilhah bore Rachel two sons Leah found that even though she already had four sons she was no longer able to have children. Forefathers and consumerism - why they had more that they can eat? Jacobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion, 159160, 168.4. Leah started popping out kids left and right, four boys to be exact. But apparently he considered it a major offense, for in his deathbed speech, he removes Reuben from his extra inheritance as firstborn and alludes to Reubens dreadful deed (Gen 49:4). Bilhah and Zilpah - Jew or Not Jew When do you use in the accusative case. Who was Bilhah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org In this context, it is better to translate the term as woman, because Rachel still retained full rights over Bilhah.4Louis Katzoff, Nuzi Tablets, Bible and Spade vol 1:2 (Spring 1988): 27. I am looking to do research on the women Bilhah and Zilpah. Rachel and Leah | Encyclopedia.com I have no idea of the provenance of this tradition. ( , ): , . This is really an interesting conflict in the bible. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. So, yes, you remember the part where Jacob married the ugly Leah and the super-hot Rachel, and lived happily ever after in a sanctioned menage a trois. While Leah, Rachels older sister, had given birth to four sons. Who Were Bilhah and Zilpah? - Chabad.org In this instance, no functional role is in view. How to force Unity Editor/TestRunner to run at full speed when in background? Nor does Sarah name the child Ishmael. For you are forgetting Bilhah and Zilpah, Jacob's other two wives. 35, Dan and Naphtali are presented as the sons of Bilhah, Rachels maid (v. 25). Bilhah and Zilpah's Birth Stories: The Old Testament's Form of Adoption The wife of Moses came from the Sudan area of Africa, yet still dont know here color. In later texts, Bilhah is remembered as one of the ancestresses of the Israelites. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. I contend that these two women are relatable and worthy of emulation for different reasons than the more well-known Matriarchs are. why not correct the list to include the two maid-slave mothers? Any children born of the union were considered to be legally the children of the mistress wife. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Jacob favored Rachel, his other wife, and even loved her maidservant Bilhah more than Zilpah. Laban pursues them and overtakes them ten days later (Gen 31:23). Adding EV Charger (100A) in secondary panel (100A) fed off main (200A). In all, Bilhah and Zilpah are given to Jacob by their mistresses to act in their place twice each to overcome barrenness, resulting in two sons each (Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher). The point is that these women acted prudently in each given situation with the best interests of their children in mind. Laban gave Rotheus a wife named Euna, who was the girl's mother. They repeatedly chose to be willing, humble, and respectful, possibly knowing that this is what would get them what they desiredchildren of their own who would have a future. Zilpah, Leah's maid, gives birth to Gad and Asher. Thank you for sharing it with us. Rachel Giving Bilhah to Jacob from The Story of Jacob series, 1550-75, Netherlandish, Brussels. She gives Jacob two more, and then a girl to boot! Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Oil on canvas by Jan Victors (1619 1679) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Victors_Esau_and_the_mess_of_pottage.jpg. As I've thought about these two great women and reflected on their sacrifices I can't help but marvel at what amazing women these two handmaidens must have been. I heard a teaching comparing the relationship of Jacob and Esau and the stolen birthright, with the relationship of Leah and Rachael. Zilpah, whose name is believed to mean drooping, was given to Leah as a handmaiden by Laban, Leahs father, when Leah was given to Jacob as a bride. Thankfully, Rachel had a solution. I learned that there werent always the more progressive Jewish sects that allow women to wear tallises or kippas or to become rabbis. In general it's a big question what it means when various places in the north of Eretz Yisrael are identified as the kevarim of famous tzaddikim or tzidkaniyos - especially when those seem to contradict information given elsewhere. What is the meaning of AD, BC, BCE and CE? In an ancient Nuzi marriage contract it stipulated that a woman whose servant bore the children of her husband should have full authority over the offspring. (Source) This adoption ceremony was often conducted by placing the son or daughter on the knees of the mistress and declaring it her child. Rachel, who was Jacobs favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. While Leah and Rachel, who are also often named together, competed against each other for Jacobs attention and to accumulate sons, Zilpah and Bilhah were always accommodating, respectful, and supportive of each other and authority figures. Identify blue/translucent jelly-like animal on beach. Even at one point, it was obvious that Leah thought she would have no more childrenJacob was staying in Rachel's tent and no where else. However, Hagar is termed mother at the end of her story when she becomes free (Gen 21:21).7Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 164166. Who Were Bilhah and Zilpah? - Parshah Focus - Parshah - Chabad Share. Often times bricks were placed under her to give her more support and the midwife knelt in front of her. ', referring to the nuclear power plant in Ignalina, mean? Jacob did not become aware of the substitution until after the marriage acts had been committed. It only takes a minute to sign up. [1] Genesis 29:29 describes her as Laban 's handmaiden ( ), who was given to Rachel to be her handmaid on Rachel's marriage to Jacob. . How hard it must have been to be an un-loved wife. Bilah is cited a few verses later in verse 25 of the same genealogy. Leah then offered her handmaid, Zilpah, to Jacob. Their names are Bilhah and Zilpah, the servants - probably slaves - of the two sisters Rachel and Leah, the wives of Jacob. Bilhahs own status in the household is somewhat ambiguous. Elizabeth Wyner Mark, The Four Wives of Jacob: Matriarchs Seen and Unseen, The Reconstructionist (Fall 1998): 2224.13. Come into her and she will bear on my knees so that I too can build [a family] through her5 This is my own translation of the Hebrew text found in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Could it be that Zilpah and Bilhah not only gained the status of full wife, but also of full mother? This may have been what Rachel meant when she said that Bilhah shall bear upon my knees. Alternatively she may have just been referring to the way in which ancient women commonly gave birth. Whats less clear, however, is their roles within the forming Israelite tribe, especially compared with the roles of Leah and Rachel. Something that sounds weird and wrong to me now might have made perfect sense in their day. Jewish Women's Archive. Book of Mormon. Bilhah . (deceased) - Genealogy Genesis 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. Jacob was all too happy to oblige, and Bilhah popped out two more boys to bring the total to six. Women in labor were surrounded by female companions who encouraged them to labor upright and dance and sway during contractions (belly dancing is actually an ancient fertility dance that women were taught a young age to help with conception and labor). As long as Rachel was alive, say these commentators, Jacob kept his bed in her tent and visited the other wives in theirs. sign up now For me, this was a revelation. We could continue this tradition by claiming Bilhah and Zilpah as matriarchs. Zilpah and Bilhah, who are usually named together, had each other, while Hagar was alone. These women may not have had legal claim to their children but they still played a large part in their upbringing and in their daily lives. How many children did Laban have? Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. Leah named the first son Gad and declared. Matthew - John Despite their sons being adopted by Rachel and Leah, the sons are associated with their birth mothers. How Long In Prison? The promises of God endure from generation to generation. In her desperation for children Rachel followed the example of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and married her maid Bilhah to her husband so that she could have children through her. Yet they did it out of lovelove for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. There is no mention of their status as wives or maid-slaves at all. Anyway, Rachel said that Jacob would go to Leah if Rachel could have the mandrakes that Reuben brought back. Once again we can see Zilpah and Bilhahs worth in this scene. So then it was Zilpah's turn to shtup Jacob, and pop out two more boys (we are now at eight, still none from Rachel). These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. geography - Where are Bilhah and Zilpa buried? - Mi Yodeya (Gen 29), Jacob did not buy Zilpah and Bilhah to be his legitimate wives. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. While the forefathers were very cautious in choosing their spouses from Avraham's family, the Torah says nothing about Bilhah and Zilpah's ancestry. This is my own translation of the Hebrew text found in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.6. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.
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