24:16 says that Yehoyada Kohen Gadol was buried in Jerusalem, but there's a grave in Tzfas shown as his (and I believe it was identified as such by the Arizal). Required fields are marked *. Jacobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion, 159160, 168.4. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Only the tribe of Judah are Jews. Though Jacob could never take any other wives apart from Leah and Rachel according to the pact with Laban, Zilpah and Bilhahs status seems to be elevated after Rachels death. 8 Zilpah means "to flow" ( lezalef ). 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. "[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. And that is the mindset at the core of any matriarch. Yet in the potentially dangerous situation with Esau, she reverts to being called a maid (Hebrew shifhah). They are Zilpah and Bilhah. Genesis 30 records that, "when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. 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). I contend that these two women are relatable and worthy of emulation for different reasons than the more well-known Matriarchs are. 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). We have here something amounting to a status change for the maid-slaves children. Jewish Women's Archive. Required fields are marked *. Their sacrifice reminds me of all the women who make similar sacrifices around the world today. At the start of Jacobs story, the Genesis narrator makes it clear that Zilpah and Bilhah are maid-slaves. 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." Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 128.9. For this reason, some modern Jewish feminists have reclaimed Bilhah and Zilpah as matriarchs. One last question remains. Genesis 30 records that, when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. The first son Rachel named Dan saying, "God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son." Bilhah was later briefly mentioned in Genesis 35:22 when Jacobs firstborn son Rueben reportedly slept with her after Rachel had died. Obviously, at some point, some Jews decided that the matriarchs needed to be acknowledged in prayer. But more importantly, we will question why these two womens children receive blessings and an inheritance when other sons of women in other stories did not. For me, this was a revelation. Genesis 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. I don't know . The text says nothing to suggest that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of Bilhah and Zilpah. Jacob must have been super happy! 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. In the official record given of Jacobs 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. Unexpected uint64 behaviour 0xFFFF'FFFF'FFFF'FFFF - 1 = 0? I am looking to do research on the women Bilhah and Zilpah. They were considered concubines, or secondary wives of Jacob. While the forefathers were very cautious in choosing their spouses from Avraham's family, the Torah says nothing about Bilhah and Zilpah's ancestry. Does a password policy with a restriction of repeated characters increase security? For example, II Chron. ; Beor . It must have been hard, really hard. . Your email address will not be published. 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). Military and political security, agricultural and mineral wealth, and religion all flourished during this period. Who are considered "avot" who worshipped idols? Image source Either way it is almost certain that Rachel would have been with Bilhah during the births of her two sons. This amended liturgical prayer is based on the traditional, central Jewish liturgical blessing of praise, the Amidah or Standing Prayer, that invokes the blessing of the ancestors, some of which already have added the four matriarchal figures (though most have Rachel before Leah). I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. Zilpah and Bilhah are instead each introduced as a shiphchah (meaning maid-servant, slave-girl, or handmaid2For maid-servant or female servant see such translations as JPS, ESV, and YLT; for slave-girl see CJB, EXB, GNT, ICB, and NRSV; for handmaid see ASV and KJV. How Long In Prison? Bilhah is given by Laban to Rachel as a gift when she marries Jacob. Biblical family tree showing Jacob's line. Women in Scripture. Bilhah bore two sons. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. While the forefathers were very cautious in choosing their spouses from Avraham's family, the Torah says nothing about Bilhah and Zilpah's ancestry. "Bilhah: Bible." Heather M. Burrow (PhD Candidate, Claremont Graduate University) is an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Pacific Christian College of Ministry and Biblical Studies at Hope International University in Fullerton, California. [12][13], "The Testament of Naphtali" (1:9) as translated in, "The Testament of Naphtali" (1:11) as translated in, Flemish tapestry made around 1550, depicting Rachel giving Bilhah to Jacob, "10 Things You Didn't Know About 'The Handmaid's Tale', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bilhah&oldid=1146218235, This page was last edited on 23 March 2023, at 13:56. I've been involved in far, far left politics for a very long time. Asked By : David Miller. 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. It makes me wonder what sort of relationship Rachel and Leah had with them. . rev2023.5.1.43405. ), So, eight boys in, it's Leah's turn again! The few times the story tells of their actions (bearing sons and bowing before Esau),11Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 128. it is at the behest of others. Matriarchs: A Liturgical and Theological Category, Biblical Women in World and Hebrew Literature, Modesty and Sexuality in Halakhic Literature, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. And it gets weirder. This was done as part of an ongoing rivalry between Leah and her sister Rachel, Jacobs second and favorite wife. In Old Testament times this was an acceptable way for a married woman who was barren to gain children. Zilpah is first introduced in the Bible in Genesis 29:24. 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. 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. What did it take for them to share their husband with two other women? 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. As long as Rachel was alive, say these commentators, Jacob kept his bed in her tent and visited the other wives in theirs. She carried full term and gave birth via Cesarean section to Finnean, her first grandchild, .". 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. And Jacobs anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said. Through the wombs of Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah, Israel's people were birthed by choice and by force. In midrashic texts, Rabbis have long given Zilpah and Bilhah matriarchal status, alongside Leah and Rachel. Often times bricks were placed under her to give her more support and the midwife knelt in front of her. Mother of Gad . It makes me wonder what sort of relationship Rachel and Leah had with them. 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. This pushes me to actively seek out women who have been overlooked by our tradition, whether from the Torah or from more recent history. Not to be outdone, Leah had a handmaiden too: Zilpah. The promises of God endure from generation to generation. Often times bricks were placed under her to give her more support and the midwife knelt in front of her. I have long identified as a feminist and have always been interested in Judaism, but before this, I had never really considered how the two could overlap. I had never heard of them before. "[10] As a result of this adultery, he lost the respect of his father, who said: "Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer; For when you mounted your fathers bed, You brought disgracemy couch he mounted! (Bereishit 31:43) gives [another two equaling] four.'. Bilhah is said to be buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs in Tiberias. When and how did the Twelve Apostles die? Leah then offered her handmaid, Zilpah, to Jacob. New Testament Often times bricks were placed under her to give her more support and the midwife knelt in front of her. At the same time, two other named figures stand out for their undeserved absence among the honored Matriarchs. The story is silent about Bilhahs reaction. Was it the custom for the first wife to have more children than the 2nd wife? Why does the Torah seem to tolerate cheating esp. These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. In a similar way, when I omit Bilhah and Zilpah, the mothers of 4 of the 12 Israelite tribes, missing in the liturgy due to their subordinate status, I collude in the marginalization of those whom society has assigned a lower status. [4] He was taken into captivity but redeemed by Laban, Rachel and Leah's father. Why did US v. Assange skip the court of appeal? She is on the Biblical Timeline Poster between 1754-1704 BC. The blessings of Dan and Naphtali as tribes of Israel can be found in Genesis 49:16-17, and 21. (Source) This adoption ceremony was often conducted by placing the son or daughter on the knees of the mistress and declaring it her child. The wonders of ancient polygamy! Leah started popping out kids left and right, four boys to be exact. The second son Bilhah bore she named Naphtali and said, "With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed.". I hope that for all of the sibling rivalry,the sisters at least loved each other. What is significant about the names Rachel and Leah give their sons? Redirecting the Fear of Death, Teaching Genesis Beautiful Vision in an Incarcerated Context, A Pentecostals Biblical Reflections on the Asbury Revival. 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. Presumably, Hagar raised Ishmael to act so badly when playing with Isaac that Sarah casts them out (Gen 21:9). I had always thought of Jewish spaces as empowering ones; most of the people who bolstered my Jewish education were women, including my rabbi. He could have opened Rachel's womb he does later but perhaps these women needed to learn these lessons first. With the help of hormone supplementation, Casey, who had gone through menopause 10 years earlier, became pregnant during her second round of in vitro fertilization, the Chicago Tribune reported. They are simply Zilpah and Bilhah. This is really an interesting conflict in the bible. Yet they did it and through them came the 12 tribes of Israel the covenant family of the whole earth. This amended liturgical prayer is based on the traditional, central Jewish liturgical blessing of praise, the Amidah or Standing Prayer, that invokes the blessing of the ancestors, some of which already have added the four matriarchal figures (though most have Rachel before Leah). These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachelseven in all. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 164166.8. In this instance, no functional role is in view. Why are Mordechai and Esther buried in Hamedan, considering it is distant from Shushan? Probably all three maid-slaves desired to have children, as women were primarily valued for their reproductive capacities in the culture. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. So following the example of her sister Leah gave her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob as a wife so that she could have more children. RGG, I'll agree that this is a super interesting story. I really do like the way you've likened it to modern day adoption . Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically. The rabbis fill in details about her life, her relationship with Jacob, and the confusing incident between Bilhah and Reuben, Jacob's eldest son. For Rashi's commentary on this, with English translation, see Rashi's notes on 30:10: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zilpah&oldid=1112462359, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 September 2022, at 12:45. Bilhah and Zilpah gave birth to four sonsNaphtali, Dan, Asher, and Gadfathered by Jacob, who became the heads of four of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Can you direct me to anything about their lineage? In the novel The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, Zilpah and Bilhah are represented as half-sisters of Leah and Rachel by different mothers. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. Where does the version of Hamapil that is different from the Gemara come from? Bilhah ( "unworried", Standard Hebrew: Bilha, Tiberian Hebrew: Blh) is a woman mentioned in the Book of Genesis. What Are The Names of the Thieves Crucified With Christ? Mignon R. Jacobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion: The Genesis Narratives and Contemporary Portrait (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 160.2. For you are forgetting Bilhah and Zilpah, Jacob's other two wives. (Gen 29), Jacob did not buy Zilpah and Bilhah to be his legitimate wives. It really does amaze me how the Lord has different experiences planed for each of us. Their sacrifice reminds me of all the women who make similar sacrifices around the world today. And the maids apparently must share a tent, whereas the wives have their own (Gen 31:33). It must have been hard, really hard. Attractive design ideal for your home, office, church . How old were they? Zilpah also figures in the competition between Jacob's wives to bear him sons. Though both Leah and Rachel were bought by Jacob to be his covenantal wives with his years of labor that functioned as a bride-price1cobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion: The Genesis Narratives and Contemporary Portrait (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 160. You can read about Jacob, also known as Israel, blessing Gad and Asher as tribes of Israel in Genesis 49:19-20. Who is Bilhah? 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. I guess I always felt bad for Bilhah and Zilpah because it didn't really seem like they had any say in the matter. Bilhah, Rachel's servant and Jacob's concubine, bears two more sons, Dan and Naphtali. 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). 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). Zilpah, Leah's maid, gives birth to Gad and Asher. Rachel, who was Jacob's favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. Bilhah and Zilpah were the handmaidens (servants) of the patriarch Jacobs wives, Leah and Rachel. Sleeping with ones fathers wife was considered a great offense in biblical law (Lev 18:8; 20:11); perhaps that is why Bilhah is called his secondary wife (pilegesh) in this one textto diminish the gravity of the act. "Claiming Bilhah and Zilpah." [2] Bilhah gave birth to two sons, whom Rachel claimed as her own and named Dan and Naphtali. Now, I try to keep Bilhah and Zilpah in mind in my daily life. Take the Challenge 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). Rachel, who was Jacob's favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. To me, they are emblematic of all the women who have been left out of and left behind by history. They are casualties of nation building. (Did they time her ovulation cycle? 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. So following the example of her sister Leah gave her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob as a wife so that she could have more children. I have no idea of the provenance of this tradition. Of the sixty-six descendants of Jacob who journeyed to Egypt, twenty-three are accorded to Zilpah and Bilhah (Gen 46)that is more than one-third of the total. 8 Zilpah means "to flow" ( lezalef ). Avigayil is certainly possible as King David could have had her buried in Tiberias (though why I don't know). The Bible, ladies and gentlemen! Something that sounds weird and wrong to me now might have made perfect sense in their day. During the final stage of labor a woman would squat and be supported under the arms by one or two other women. [3] Genesis 35:22 expressly calls Bilhah Jacob's concubine, a pilegesh. What nation/family there were from and why the Torah does not see the importance of telling us about that? Instead, Zilpah and Bilhahs motherly role comes to the forefront. Zilpah is referenced in the genealogy in Genesis 46:18. Some pictures, and directions, are here. Rachel did not have to do this for Jacobs sake, for Jacob already had children to be his heirs by his other wife, Leah; rather, she is said to do this so that Jacob could fulfill her demand to give her children. Rachel in turn gives Bilhah to Jacob as a wife when Rachel is found to be barren. This is reinforced by the fact that Rachel named both of the sons Bilhah bore. This was a normal thing for concubines. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Many scholars, including Steinberg and Speiser, interpret this event as just thata change of status to secondary wives or full wives of Jacob.8Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 128. Zilpah bore Leah two sons. Genesis 35:22 expressly calls Bilhah Jacob's concubine, a pilegesh. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Bible Charts and Maps, PO Box 171053, Austin, TX 78717 Either way it is almost certain that Rachel would have been with Bilhah during the births of her two sons. Its a story of the quiet humility of marginalized women whose children have better lives as a result. If she couldn't have the child herself, she came up with the second best option: her handmaiden, Bilhah! The Key Biblical Principle for Police Reform? Furthermore, in the listing of Jacobs twelve sons in chap. While Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel used more competitive, empowered, persuasive, and often deceptive means to achieve their ends according to their privileged status, Zilpah and Bilhah wisely used cooperation and submissiveness within their less privileged status. Zilpah and Bilhahs deaths are never mentioned. Why do you think it is that both Rachel and Leah go on to have their own children. I guess God works in mysterious ways. Bilhahs own status in the household is somewhat ambiguous. 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. May the God of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the God whose covenant is eternal, bless you and make you fruitful. (What makes the menage a cinq even freakier is that some commentators believe that Bilhah and Zilpah were Leah and Rachel's sisters. The first son Rachel named Dan saying. 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. However, Laban gave Leah as the veiled bride to Jacob instead. 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. Walking with the Women Books Why did Avraham prefer the daughters of Aner, Eshkol and Mamre over Eliezer's daughter? (Gen 30:3). ( , ): , . And it gets weirder. In Old Testament times this was an acceptable way for a married woman who was barren to gain children. Rachel, who was Jacobs favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. Either way it is almost certain that Rachel would have been with Bilhah during the births of her two sons. What did it take for them to share their husband with two other women? 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). While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. and Alib . 35, Dan and Naphtali are presented as the sons of Bilhah, Rachels maid (v. 25). At the end of the narrative (Gen 49), the children of Zilpah and Bilhah received blessings from their father Jacob at his death, along with Jacobs other sons by Leah and Rachel. Does a password policy with a restriction of repeated characters increase security? The real difference between Hagar on the one hand and Zilpah and Bilhah on the other lies in their reactions to their situation.6Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 117119. Thus, they have been forgotten as unworthy or ignored as unremarkable. Read more from The Biblical Mind. Zilpah and Bilhah were always cooperative with their mistresses, unlike Hagar. During this time on theBible Timeline with World History, the following events at various locations around the world are recorded: But from whom were Bilhah and Zilpah descendant ? What about Rachel, the hapless, unfortunate, super-hot Rachel?! Whats less clear, however, is their roles within the forming Israelite tribe, especially compared with the roles of Leah and Rachel. Leah was the oldest daughter in lieu of an elder brother. I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. Not that it means that much, but I find it very interesting that most Christians believe all were white. Alternatively she may have just been referring to the way in which ancient women commonly gave birth. 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. I believe words have the power to change the future and heal the past. In contrast, Zilpah and Bilhahs children, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher, never directly speak or act within the tribal family,9Many of the brothers directly speak and act within the familial affairs. 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). Unique Circular Format see more in less space. Acts - Revelations And freakier. We could defy the patriarchal constraints of the Torah, and highlight significant women regardless of their status. Laban excused his actions as part of his peoples tradition to always marry the oldest daughter first. Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. Thus, we shall proclaim the following revised celebratory benediction: Praised are You, Lord our God, and the God of our ancestors. Old Testament In Old Testament times this was an acceptable way for a married woman who was barren to gain children. They are called nashim without any qualifier functionan identification never given to Hagar. When Rachel failed to have children, Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob like a wife to bear him children. Its my job, as a woman and as a feminist, to continue to integrate feminism into Judaism. While this parallel relationship gives insight into the newly-gained procreative roles of Zilpah and Bilhah, it also highlights Zilpah and Bilhahs worth. Jacob was all too happy to oblige, and Bilhah popped out two more boys to bring the total to six. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Leah stops conceiving after the birth of her fourth son, at which point [4] Rachel, who had not yet borne children, offers her handmaid, Bilhah, to Jacob like a wife in order to have children through her. It only takes a minute to sign up. 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. It only takes a minute to sign up. . For this reason, some modern Jewish feminists have reclaimed Bilhah and Zilpah as matriarchs. This may be because Zilpah and Bilhah never speak within the narrative, nor are they spoken to directly. Laban gave Rotheus a wife named Euna, who was the girl's mother. Leah and Rachel, of course! This suggests that at this time, Jacob only had Labans two daughters as his legal, covenantal wives. Zilpah and Bilhah, who are usually named together, had each other, while Hagar was alone. In Jewish tradition, Zilpah is believed to be buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs in Tiberias. It's not them. Book of Mormon, Study Guides For Kristine Casey, 61, it meant giving the gift of motherhood to her infertile daughter by carrying and giving birth to her own grandson. What did it take for Bilhah and Zilpah to share their children with two other women? While Zilpah is a considered a minor Bible character, she was a vessel used to usher in two of the tribes of Israel. 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). 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. Yet they did it out of love--love for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. And in every case, the mistress wife names the children born to their maid-slave, also indicating that the children are adopted by the mistress as their own. The point is that these women acted prudently in each given situation with the best interests of their children in mind. In their historical and cultural context, the mistress had full procreative rights over the maid-slave, including control of access and consent regarding her sexual behavior.3Jacobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion, 159160, 168. Zilpah bore Jacob two sons: Gad and Asher. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. 10 Vayeitzei in a Nutshell Bilhah was named so because of her stunning beauty. And this is why the children are mentioned sans mothers, because the difference in status was no more for any involved, mothers or children.
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