The Conclusion Of The Story Of Yacob
On The Way From Bethel To Hebron
On the journey, at some distance from Ephrath, Rachel gave birth to a second child. It was a difficult birth in which she lost her life, 'You have another son here,' the midwife told her joyfully. Before breathing her last Rachel wished, according to Semitic custom, to give the new-born child a name: she called him Ben-oni, that is, 'son of my sorrow'. After his wife's death Yacob decided to change this rather ominous name; the child was henceforth called Benjamin, 'son of the right hand' or 'son of happy omen' 22 which was obviously a better portent. Rachel was buried on the road to Ephrath. 2 3 Over her tomb Yacob raised a monument.
22 The primitive meaning was 'son of the south'. Since the nomads turned to the east to take their bearings on the plains, they had the south on their right And the south is sunlight, joy.
23 The text of Bereshith gives the geographical detail: the road to Ephrath, at Bethlehem. Actually, about seven-and-a-half miles from Bethlehem, near all Arab cemetery, there stands today a small Moslem sanctuary in which, according to ancient tradition, is the tomb of Rachel. Its location at this place is founded on the text quoted above (Bereshith 35:19) which Scriptural scholars consider to be a gloss. But there was another Ephrath, in the territory which later became that of the tribe of Benjamin the village has disappeared. and its exact situation has been lost. Probably it should be located at Ramah if we are to believe Jeremiah (31:15): "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and weeping bitterly; it is Rachel weeping for her children because they are no more." Moreover Bethlehem (the house of bread, Bethlehem) only took the name of Ephrath much later, after its occupation by a group of Ephrathites.
Yacob Returns To His Father's Camp
Between Shechem and Hebron during the interminable journeys from pasture to pasture, Yacob must have passed through the greater part of Canaan. It might be expected that we should find in the Scriptures on this occasion some characteristic details concerning the moral and spiritual attitudes of Yacob in his new role. It is true of course that a little later we are shown how deep and lasting was the spiritual transformation of YAHWEH's Chosen One, but for the present the spiritual writer seems far less interested in the study of the psychological and spiritual aspect than in giving the patriarch's genealogy. No doubt the scribe thought it preferable to set before us in his chronicle the names of the twelve sons of Yacob destined to become chieftains and give their names to the twelve tribes of Yisrael, as was fitting.
Yacob The Father Of The Chosen People
During the first patriarchal generation when the camp was at Bethel, YAHWEH had solemnly announced to Abraham (at that time childless, and Sarah appeared to be barren): 'I will make your descendants like the dust on the ground: when men succeed in counting the grains of dust on the ground, then they will be able to count your descendants! Contrary to every expectation Sarah subsequently gave birth. Thus Abraham had a son, an only son, Yitschaq. YAHWEH’s prediction had begun to be fulfilled, but in a very modest way.
In the second generation Rebekah bore Yitschaq the twins Esau and Yacob. But this did not amount to a number of any consequence, especially for an oriental family where the wife is usually prolific.
In the third generation with Yacob and his twelve 24 sons, matters improve and we can begin to see the possibility of a rapid increase of the family. It was in fact through Yacob-Yisrael that the little Hebrew clan became a confederation of tribes.
Clan and tribe, two terms that require explanation. The nomad had no idea at all of what is meant by a State. The basis of the social organization of these wandering shepherds was of course the family. If the head of the family possessed a certain affluence he would have a number of servants and slaves and, if he had several flocks to be watched over at pasture he would engage shepherds. Thus would be formed the clan, typical instances of which we have already encountered in those of Abraham and Lot, the clan which Yitschaq inherited from his father, and that formed by Yacob in the land of the Euphrates.
If the father of the family, the chieftain of the clan (or patriarch) had many sons and if, in addition, he came to be the owner of a large amount of livestock, it would be necessary to divide the flocks, either when the inheritance was shared out or even, on occasion, beforehand. Each son would then leave with his share of the livestock in search of grass and water in an attempt to make his property bear fruit. In this way new clans were formed which remained, of course, closely linked with the original group in brotherly fellowship and still more by spiritual ties. Together all these clans scattered over the region, but closely united by the same family spirit and ancestral religion, formed the tribe.
The appearance in the Scriptures story of Yacob's twelve sons foreshadows the impending splitting up of the primitive clan. One day Yacob, who was already the owner of large flocks, would inherit his father's property; this would be bound to raise serious problems regarding pasture and it would become necessary as a result to send out the shepherds with their flocks to considerable distances from each other. The examples of Abraham and Lot form an illustration of the practical application of this law. Henceforward each son would be called on to form a clan which, in the normal course, would give rise to a new tribe. Twelve sons: twelve tribes. This was the perfectly normal social evolution in the patriarchal organization of these shepherds.
When did the twelve tribes appear in history? They were not in existence during the lifetime of Yacob, for all his sons were still employed in looking after the sheep as shepherds for their father. Thus during the nomadic period there were no separate Hebrew tribes. In the strict sense of the word, during the time of the patriarchs, the term clan can only be used for those of Abraham, Yitschaq and Yacob and, at one moment, for that of Esau. Nor were the twelve tribes formed at the time of Yacob's death. When this occurred the clan was in Egypt. summoned by Joseph (Yacob's son) who had established himself there with considerable financial and political success. The same can be said when Joseph died, for after his death there was a further change in the attitude of the Egyptian government; the Hebrew clan, settled in the Delta, found itself reduced to the wretched position of slaves, forced to perform the hard, exhausting and inhuman work of carrying bricks for the construction of the colossal buildings put up by the pharaohs of the nineteenth dynasty.
The first clear mention of the twelve tribes occurs a good five hundred years after Yacob 25 when on Sinai Moses ratified the Covenant of the Chosen People with YAHWEH (Shemoth 24: 3 following). There is a more precise mention of the twelve tribes at the renewal of the Covenant in the famous valley of Shechem (Jos. 24). It is only in these circumstances that we can see the federal structure of the twelve tribes who regarded themselves as the political posterity of Yacob-Yisrael.
The figure of twelve tribes is traditional, but it has varied down the ages. Nevertheless we can now see why the scribe thought it necessary to recall here the names of the twelve sons of Yisrael.
24 Twelve: this number of fullness in connection with descendants (as was mentioned above) is found elsewhere Ishmael (the son of Abraham and the Egyptian concubine Hagar) also had twelve sons who became chiefs of the twelve tribes of Ishmaelites. And Esau too, had twelve sons who became chiefs of the twelve tribes of Edomites. And we know, too, that Nahor, Abraham's brother, also had twelve sons. It can probably be conjectured that this number is conventional in view of its well-known symbolism.
25 The approximate dates are Yacob, c. 1800-1750 B.C.; Moses and Joshua, 1200 B.C.
Death And Burial Of Yitschaq
A very short paragraph is devoted to these events. Yacob reached the house of his father Yitschaq at Hebron...Yitschaq...died and was gathered to his people. His sons Esau and Yacob buried him. There is not a word to tell what welcome was given to Yacob on his return after so long an absence, there is nothing about Rebekah, and there is nothing about the burial which took place in the nearby cave of Machpelah where the bodies of Abraham and his wife Sarah already lay. Esau and Yacob, the two brothers once more together, performed their filial duty at their father's grave. The account could not be more laconic.
Who Was Yitschaq's Heir?
In accordance with the law prevailing at the time Esau was regarded as the elder. There had of course occurred the abandonment of the birthright in exchange for the plate of soup, but that question remained to some extent open. More complicated was the theft of Yitschaq's blessing, for such a blessing was irreversible and could not be annulled. As will be remembered it had invested Yacob as chief of the clan. The question arose acutely whether in the last resort Esau would allow himself to be ousted by Yacob (he has supplanted).
The writer glosses over these family matters. Yet it is notorious, even in modern Europe, how the division of an inheritance raises difficulties and often leads to heated argument and lawsuits. And it may be guessed what a similar situation could provoke in the ancient East. But contrary to expectation we find Esau putting his baggage together 26 and setting out for the land of Edom. Esau, taking his wives, his sons and daughters, all the members of his household, his livestock, all his cattle and all the goods he had acquired in the land of Canaan, left for the land of Seir [Edom] away from his brother Yacob. For they had acquired too much to live together. The land in which they were at that time could not support then; both because of their livestock (Bereshith 36: 6-7). The author of the Scriptural text makes a point of showing the separation of the two brothers, formerly at enmity but now reconciled, arising naturally from the amount of livestock. And it is certainly surprising to find the quick-tempered, brutish Esau, who in the past had desired to kill his brother because he had stolen his birthright, agree to his own elimination in a spirit of complete and utter renunciation. Without protest Esau, much milder it is true since the encounter with Yacob shortly after the fording of the Jabbok, allowed his younger brother to take over their father's pasturelands and position as chieftain. All ended for the best, the scribe assures us.
But he writes at much greater length when it is a matter of giving the list of the kings of Edom and the genealogy of the descendants of Esau; practically a whole chapter of Bereshith (36) is devoted to the subject. It must be admitted that it holds little interest for the modern reader, especially as here again several traditions are drawn upon and the various explanations do not always agree; the scribe himself is sometimes confused. We can leave the orientalist to consider why the title of the kings of Edom is of Horite origin and also why the: names of some of the wives are changed on occasion into the names of chieftains. Nevertheless, the long recitation of complicated genealogies was very popular in the East and the story-tellers liked to indulge their audiences.
26 The Kohenly tradition (P) which probably furnished the materials for the scribe in writing this passage shows us Esau as living up to this time with his father Yitschaq at Hebron. But as we have seen above the Yahwistic (J) and Elohistic (E) cycles suppose that long before Yitschaq's death Esau had settled far from his father in the land of Edom, though it is very difficult to see how this could be.
The Conclusion Of The Story Of Yacob
Esau left the patriarchal camp of Hebron and we hear no more about him. The history of Yisrael continues with Yacob.
Yacob had pitched camp a short distance from the little city of Hebron, at the Oak of Mamre, a spot favoured by the patriarchs ever since Abraham was first there. Logically, we might expect to find Yacob settling down as a shrewd administrator of his property a careful sheep-farmer who continued to remain faithful to YAHWEH. After which it would be quite normal to see the old patriarch 'full of years' and surrounded by his sons reach the end of his earthly existence in the same peaceful way as his grandfather and father.
Events did not turn out like that. Yacob can hardly have imagined that he would have to go on another long journey to a foreign land. Nor could he have expected that once more he would have to undergo severe moral trials. Certainly he could not have foreseen that later on he would have to leave the Promised Land to die on the banks of the Nile.
Nevertheless, after Yacob had settled at Hebron the Scriptures informs us that this is the end of the history of Yacob. Not that he disappears completely from the scene. We shall subsequently find him playing a certain part, but a very secondary one, it must be admitted. For very shortly the important person in whom all the interest of the story lies is Yoseph, Yacob's favourite son. And it is this which concerns us in the next chapter.
Yacob Called Yisrael Index Yacob Sitemap Scripture History Through the Ages Yacob Called Yisrael Yacob and Esau Theft Of The Paternal Blessing Flight, The Only Solution For Yacob Yacob's Dream At Bethel Yacob Puts Up A Stele Named BethEl The Location Of Bethel Importance Of The Well, A Meeting Place Details Of The Mohar The Sons Of Yacob How Yacob Became Rich Yacob Leaves The Land Of The Fathers Treaty Between Yacob And Laban Messages Between Yacob And Esau Yacob Wrestles With YAHWEH Two Brothers, Yacob and Esau Meet Towards The Promised Land The Departure From Shechem The Conclusion Of Yacob