During the final stage of labor a woman would squat and be supported under the arms by one or two other women. 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. They are the biblical women we view as relatable and worthy of emulation. This is reinforced by the fact that Rachel named both of the sons Bilhah bore. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Boolean algebra of the lattice of subspaces of a vector space? 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 ). Artist unknown. It was not until after Rachels and probably Leahs deaths that they were likely able to transition from their functional maid-slave roles as proxy-wives and surrogate-mothers into a new status as the full wives of Jacob and full mothers of their children. Many of the brothers directly speak and act within the familial affairs. In the Books of Chronicles, Shimei's brothers were said to have lived in a town called Bilhah and surrounding territories prior to the reign of David. What is the symbol (which looks similar to an equals sign) called? For you are forgetting Bilhah and Zilpah, Jacob's other two wives. Genesis chapters 29-30 and 35 detail the births of Jacob's many children. And then well consider how to respond to our findings. This is really an interesting conflict in the bible. Love for their sons, knowing that they were giving them the best position, name, and quality of life possible in their situation. Zilpah bore Leah two sons. In the official record given of Jacob's children in Genesis 46 Dan and Naphtali are listed as the children of Bilhah and Asher and Gad are listed as the children of 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. Bilhah and Zilpah were the handmaidens (servants) of the patriarch Jacobs wives, Leah and Rachel. Bilhah and Zilpah - Bodies Exploited, Evangelical Focus Military and political security, agricultural and mineral wealth, and religion all flourished during this period. After Leah has birthed four sons to Jacob, her competitive sister Rachel decides to give Bilhah, her shiphchah, to Jacob as an ishah, meaning complicatedly woman or wife (Gen 30:4). Anyway, Rachel said that Jacob would go to Leah if Rachel could have the mandrakes that Reuben brought back. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They are called nashim without any qualifier functionan identification never given to Hagar. The only other brothers who are not singled out with specific actions in the narrative are Leahs two sons Issachar and Zebulun. When the Israelites enter Egypt at Josephs invitation, the children of Zilpah and Bilhah are listed among the children of Israel with the qualifier that Laban had given Zilpah and Bilhah to his daughters (Gen 46:18, 25). Genesis 46:18 Commentaries: These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban 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? 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). Bilhah bore two sons. So following the example of her sister Leah gave her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob as a wife so that she could have more children. Leah named the first son Gad and declared, "A troop cometh." Your email address will not be published. Tammi J. Schneider notes that a, This is my own translation of the Hebrew text found in the. "[11], Some rabbinical commentators interpreted the story differently, saying that Reuben's disruption of Bilhah's and Jacob's beds was not through sex with Bilhah. Bilhah and Zilpah are considered lower-status individuals. What did it take for Bilhah and Zilpah to share their children with two other women? 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. Bilhah and Zilpah, women in the Bible Bilhah means "to become alarmed" ( lehibahel ). The Twelve Tribes Of Israel Explained - Grunge When Bilhah conceives two sons, Leah takes up the same idea and presents Zilpah to Jacob so she can have children through her. I heard a teaching comparing the relationship of Jacob and Esau and the stolen birthright, with the relationship of Leah and Rachael. Zilpah: Midrash and Aggadah | Jewish Women's Archive At the start of Josephs story and after Rachels death, the narrator says that Joseph tended the flocks with his brothers, who are the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his fathers nashim (meaning wives or women, plural of ishah) (Gen 37:2). It's not them. During the final stage of labor a woman would squat and be supported under the arms by one or two other women. Rachel, who was Jacob's favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. Zilpah and Bilhahs status was at many times unclear and was one of transition as the narrative unfolded, adding to the complexities. As time has passed, Ive learned about other people whove successfully integrated feminism into their Judaism, the way I want to. Zilpah and Bilhah: Zilpah bore Gad - The Black Hebrews | Facebook It is to Zilpah and Bilhahs credit, because of their honorable actions given their slave status, that their sons inherited alongside their mistresses children, when Hagars son, Ishmael, did not. Does a password policy with a restriction of repeated characters increase security? 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. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Bilhah - Wikipedia Primary among them are (1) Rachel's and Leah's historical (or quasi-historical) position as progenitors of Israel; (2) patriarchy in the Hebrew Bible; (3) the place of Rachel and Leah as characters in world exegetical literature and feminist scholarship; and (4) Rachel's special role as universal mother and theological image of the feminine. 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. It makes me wonder what sort of relationship Rachel and Leah had with them. The first son Rachel named Dan saying, "God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son." 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). 35, Dan and Naphtali are presented as the sons of Bilhah, Rachels maid (v. 25). 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). Thus, while in Canaan and after Rachels (and probably Leahs) death, Zilpah and Bilhah were possibly able to transition in status to the wives of Jacob. They never speak in the narrative, interact with God, or are set free, like Hagar, but they also never show contempt for their mistress or run away, like Hagar (Gen 16). 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. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. And then, for good measure, she finishes out the brood with Benjamin (those must have been some powerful mandrakes). And freakier. Once again we can see Zilpah and Bilhahs worth in this scene. When faced with what he thinks might be a tense confrontation with his brother, Esau, Jacob places the two maids and their children at the front of his household, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph bringing up the (protected) rear (Gen 33:13; compare 32:2223). Half sister of Matriarch Rachel / ; Matriarch Leah / ; Chorash . Are there any writings of the backgrounds of Bilhah and Zilpah? Probably the greatest sacrifice that any mother could ever make. Probably the greatest sacrifice that any mother could ever make. Though the Genesis narrator always identifies and categorizes the children of Jacob by their biological mother, Bilhah and Zilpah are never termed mother to their children. As such, Bilhah gave birth to Dan and Naphtali as detailed in Genesis 30:1-8. 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. Joshua, as noted in the article " The Twelve Tribes in the Song of Deborah ," divided the land among these tribes. The God of Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah. The Greatest Champion Of Woman And Womanhood Is Jesus Christ James E. Talmage. Jacob favored Rachel, his other wife, and even loved her maidservant Bilhah more than Zilpah. What was Bilhah and Zilpah's ancestry? - Mi Yodeya The childs name, Dan, means he judged and indicates Rachels relationship to the boy: she claims that God has judged me [Hebrew dananni] and has also heard my voice and given me a son (Gen 30:6). Jacob had worked for seven years as part of an agreement to earn Rachels hand in marriage from her father, Laban. While Leah, Rachels older sister, had given birth to four sons. Only the tribe of Judah are Jews. 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. They are often presented as slave-like objects in the narrative with no voice, who only act at the behest of others. It's Joseph, child #12, son #11, Jacob's favorite. and Alib . Whether or not Zilpah and Bilhah attained wifely status, there seems to have been a change of status for their children into equal sonship and equal inheritance. 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. The entire tribe of Israel as we have established were akin to the Egyptian in color and looks. [4] He was taken into captivity but redeemed by Laban, Rachel and Leah's father. These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. Nevertheless, when the danger from Esau has passed, Bilhah again is called Jacobs wife; and her sons are not disadvantaged, for Rachels biological son Joseph becomes a shepherd, a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his fathers wives (Gen 37:2). 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. Many of the brothers directly speak and act within the familial affairs. : Ethel Reynolds Smith, Why Having a December Birthday is NOT a Bummer. And the maids apparently must share a tent, whereas the wives have their own (Gen 31:33). Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 128.12. avot-patriarch-fathers. These maid-slaves children are owned by the mistress, because the mothers were also owned, even after being given as an ishah to Jacob. Zilpah, Leah's maid, gives birth to Gad and Asher. This suggests that at this time, Jacob only had Labans two daughters as his legal, covenantal wives. Required fields are marked *. Bilhah is said to be buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs in Tiberias. Called Balah in Joshua 19:3, the town was allotted to the tribe of Simeon. Could it be that Zilpah and Bilhah not only gained the status of full wife, but also of full mother? The only other brothers who are not singled out with specific actions in the narrative are Leahs two sons Issachar and Zebulun. Leah was the mother of Judah. Who Were Bilhah and Zilpah? - Chabad.org Bilhah sons were dark skinned, both Dan and Naphtali, there is no reason to believe that Zilpah sons Gad and Asher were any different. What did it take for them to share their husband with two other women? Their sacrifice reminds me of all the women who make similar sacrifices around the world today. Nor does Sarah name the child Ishmael. If nothing else, we can surmise that the institution of marriage and the status and roles of women in such relationships in the ancient Near East were complex and often-changing, depending on circumstances. The plan succeeds, so that when Bilhahs son is born, Rachel names him, an act expressing her maternal authority. Is "I didn't think it was serious" usually a good defence against "duty to rescue"? Turns out that he was also shtupping Bilhah at best, his stepmother, at worst, his stepmother AND aunt. 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. Identify blue/translucent jelly-like animal on beach. Though her reaction is not recorded, Bilhah gives birth to two sons, Dan and Naphtali, who are named by Rachel but referred to as "the sons of Bilhah." The PatriarchsAbraham, Isaac, and Jacobare the three ancient forefathers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jacob hears about what Reuben did and does nothing at the time. If she couldn't have the child herself, she came up with the second best option: her handmaiden, Bilhah! Why Did Christ Ride a Donkey on His Triumphant Entry? Leah went on to have 3 more children from that. Bilhah and Zilpah were slaves, not wives of a patriarch, but their descendants eventually became the Jewish people. Answer Zilpah was Leah's handmaiden or servant whom Leah gave to her husband, Jacob, as a concubine. The Middle Kingdom of Egypt reestablished prosperity and stability. [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. Thus, we shall proclaim the following revised celebratory benediction: Praised are You, Lord our God, and the God of our ancestors. Subscribe now to receive periodic updates from the CHT. While Leah, Rachels older sister, had given birth to four sons. However, Hagar is termed mother at the end of her story when she becomes free (Gen 21:21).7Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 164166. Bilhah and Zilpah's Birth Stories: The Old Testament's Form of Adoption After Bilhah bore Rachel two sons Leah found that even though she already had four sons she was no longer able to have children. 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. Yet they did it out of lovelove for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. 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. 1. Upon parting ways again, Laban and Jacob make a pact before Jacobs God. I contend that the reason Zilpah and Bilhah attained this full wifely and motherly status and that their children inherited lies in their quiet humility and cooperative attitude throughout their lives. Just you wait. There's a place in Tiberias that is supposed to be the common gravesite of several prominent women from Tanach; a sign there lists Bilhah, Zilpah, Yocheved, Tzipporah, Elisheva, and Avigayil. . When do you use in the accusative case. (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . I had never heard of them either only Hagar. The apocryphal Testament of Naftali says that Bilhah and Zilpah's father was named Rotheus. @CashCow Do you happen to know the source for this opinion? Leah named the first son Gad and declared, A troop cometh. The second son Zilpah bore Leah named Asher and said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed. Like Rachel, the sons that Zilpah bore would have been considered to be Leahs and she would have raised them as her own sons. Image Source. Often times bricks were placed under her to give her more support and the midwife knelt in front of her. Alternatively she may have just been referring to the way in which ancient women commonly gave birth. Wow,what an interesting post. Like many others, these named women have a voice, agency, and power within their stories, at least at times, and use it to achieve their ends. Enjoying this article? Of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, there are mentioned 2 sons, 11 grandsons, 2-great-grandsons, and 1 daughter (who is reckoned like Dinah, both here and Numbers 26:46, for some special reason, which is not particularly described); in all, 2 + 11 + 2 + 1 equals 16 souls. He could have opened Rachel's womb he does later but perhaps these women needed to learn these lessons first. All the Bilhahs and the Zilpahs who still selflessly give of themselves to bring children to women who are unable to have them any other way and all the Rachels and the Leahs who will never be able to repay the gift. I was thinking about this subject of surrogacy.I recently re-read the record of Jacob and his wives. Nevertheless, just as consistently, Zilpah and Bilhah are not traditionally listed among the Matriarchs that include Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachelthe mothers of the higher social class of privilege who speak and act. This act caused Reuben to lose his birthright inheritance as pointed out in Genesis 49:3-4. Rachel Giving Bilhah to Jacob from The Story of Jacob series, 1550-75, Netherlandish, Brussels. Leah and Rachel, of course! (What makes the menage a cinq even freakier is that some commentators believe that Bilhah and Zilpah were Leah and Rachel's sisters. 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. With a wry smile, I say to my family, Im, As a Pentecostal, I am familiar with revival language. Can you direct me to anything about their lineage? Zilpah and Bilhahs deaths are never mentioned. [5] On the other hand, the early rabbinical commentary Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer and other rabbinic sources (Midrash Rabba and elsewhere) state that Bilhah and Zilpah were also Laban's daughters, through his concubines, which would make them half-sisters to Rachel and Leah.[6][7][8]. 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. Elisheva -- see notes on Tzipporah. However, Laban gave Leah as the veiled bride to Jacob instead. Zilpah and Bilhah, who are usually named together, had each other, while Hagar was alone. "Bilhah: Bible." The text says nothing to suggest that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of Bilhah and Zilpah. Instead, Zilpah and Bilhahs motherly role comes to the forefront. Jacob, of course, is thefather of Joseph and all his siblings, but the thirteen siblings havefour different mothers: Leah and Rachel, who are themselvessisters (the daughters of Laban), and Zilpah and Bilhah, who are themaidservants of Leah and Rachel, respectively. Bilhah, Zilpah, and Me - Medium 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. Though there is some indication that Zilpah and Bilhah were elevated to a matriarchal status as the wives of Jacob, they were still not on par with Leah and Rachel, whose death or burial place is mentioned (Gen 35:19, 49:31). Is there a minhag or halacha that states that men and women should be buried in separate cemetery plot areas? to Laban, the father of Leah and Rachel. I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. Gender was never an issue. I have to say that when I hear of the positive results of agreements between women, for one to bear anothers child and then give that child to her,with love,I can see the love of our Heavenly Father. The account of Zilpahs role as Leahs surrogate mother can be found in Genesis 30:9-13. Both Bilhah and Zilpah had their own tent in Jacob's camp (Genesis 31:33). Generating points along line with specifying the origin of point generation in QGIS. 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. While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. Some of these are easier to swallow than others. 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). 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. Rachel and Leah in the Bible - Biblical Archaeology Society sign up now For me, this was a revelation. According to the early rabbinical commentary Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, Zilpah and Bilhah, the handmaids of Leah and Rachel, respectively, were actually younger daughters of Laban. According to the early rabbinical commentary Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, Zilpah and Bilhah, the handmaids of Leah and Rachel, respectively, were actually younger daughters of Laban. Thus, they have been forgotten as unworthy or ignored as unremarkable. Reflecting on this, I now recognize that it was Jewish feminists who have made Judaism more equal for me. Let's just move on. Their children did not become jews. The maid-slaves would not only serve the daughters, but they could also bear children for their mistress-owner as a surrogate if the mistress were barren. 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.

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