what nationality were bilhah and zilpah what nationality were bilhah and zilpah

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. Not to worry! While the forefathers were very cautious in choosing their spouses from Avraham's family, the Torah says nothing about Bilhah and Zilpah's ancestry. Zilpah gave birth to two sons, whom Leah claimed as her own and named Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:1013). 8 Zilpah means "to flow" ( lezalef ). This is reinforced by the fact that Rachel named both of the sons Bilhah bore. Bilhah is also considered a minor Bible character but was also used to bring two of the twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel onto the earth. He could have opened Rachel's womb he does later but perhaps these women needed to learn these lessons first. Matthew - John Which language's style guidelines should be used when writing code that is supposed to be called from another language? Its possible this difference of reaction is partially attributable to the support of fellow women. Take the Challenge 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. The Greatest Champion Of Woman And Womanhood Is Jesus Christ James E. Talmage. The entire tribe of Israel as we have established were akin to the Egyptian in color and looks. 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. Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. By including Bilhah and Zilpah in the Amidah and Misheberakh prayers along with their better known mistresses . We could defy the patriarchal constraints of the Torah, and highlight significant women regardless of their status. Any children born of the union were considered to be legally the children of the mistress wife. And the maids apparently must share a tent, whereas the wives have their own (Gen 31:33). I like your take on it, but I guess it always seemed like Bilhah and Zilpah didn't have any choice. Subscribe now to receive periodic updates from the Center for Hebraic Thought. When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob like a wife to bear him children as well. Unique Circular Format see more in less space. I contend that these two women are relatable and worthy of emulation for different reasons than the more well-known Matriarchs are. Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically. (The poor girl is always forgotten. These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. Alternatively she may have just been referring to the way in which ancient women commonly gave birth. Coming to this realization was inspiring, but it also reminded me of the upsetting reality of the patriarchal nature of Judaism. Leah names the two sons of Zilpah and is directly involved in their upbringing. Zilpah, Leah's maid, gives birth to Gad and Asher. I don't think we know. This piece was written as part of JWAs Rising Voices Fellowship. What nation/family there were from and why the Torah does not see the importance of telling us about that? She is given to Jacob as his wife (Hebrew ishah), although in one instance she is called his secondary wife (pilegesh; NRSV, concubine). Still without a child! Gad and Asher were sons of Zilpah and a portion of Gad we know is black, for we can trace Gad's sons Eri, Areli and Arodi to the Igbo people of Nigeria. At first, it almost seemed wrong for feminists to make their own assertions about thousand-year-old practices, but then I thought more about the fact that the Torah was written by men, which meant our most important text was biased from inception. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. 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. What was her birthright, to marry first,receive her dowery and be fruitful and multiply. Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 164166.8. Furthermore, in the listing of Jacobs twelve sons in chap. Redirecting the Fear of Death, Teaching Genesis Beautiful Vision in an Incarcerated Context, A Pentecostals Biblical Reflections on the Asbury Revival. Your email address will not be published. And for whatever reason, she just could not conceive. 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. "Bilhah: Bible." Love for their sons, knowing that they were giving them the best position, name, and quality of life possible in their situation. Zilpah also figures in the competition between Jacob's wives to bear him sons. 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. Rachel in turn gives Bilhah to Jacob as a wife when Rachel is found to be barren. 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. On the other hand, I know the scriptures don't always give us the whole story and maybe the two servants agreed to this whole thing. These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachelseven in all. 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. Jacob had worked for seven years as part of an agreement to earn Rachels hand in marriage from her father, Laban. 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. However, Reuben, Leah's eldest, felt that this move slighted his mother, who was also a primary wife, and so he moved Jacob's bed into his mother's tent and removed or overturned Bilhah's. 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. Women in labor were surrounded by female companions who encouraged them to labor upright and dance and sway during contractions, . Subscribe now to receive periodic updates from the CHT. How old were they? Book of Mormon. I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. 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). Love for their sons, knowing that they were giving them the best position, name, and quality of life possible in their situation. Some pictures, and directions, are here. "[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. She is on the Biblical Timeline Poster between 1754-1704 BC. My first reactions was: Who were they? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [3] Genesis 35:22 expressly calls Bilhah Jacob's concubine, a pilegesh. How is the difference to be accounted for? 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. While Leah, Rachels older sister, had given birth to four sons. If shaimos are buried in the same grave as a person, where should they be placed? It is common practice in my sphere to seek or pray, Center for Hebraic Thought at The King's College | 56 Broadway | New York, NY 10004. 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). How Long Was Joseph In Potiphars House? 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. This is beautifuland thoughtful writing, Josie. How are engines numbered on Starship and Super Heavy? Instead, Zilpah and Bilhahs motherly role comes to the forefront. And it gets weirder. Bilhahs own status in the household is somewhat ambiguous. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Is there such a thing as "right to be heard" by the authorities? "[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! What should I follow, if two altimeters show different altitudes? Nothing is said about Bilhahs fate, but she continued to be remembered as the ancestress of major clans in Israel (1 Chr 7:13). After Bilhah bore Rachel two sons Leah found that even though she already had four sons she was no longer able to have children. While the forefathers were very cautious in choosing their spouses from Avraham's family, the Torah says nothing about Bilhah and Zilpah's ancestry. 10 Vayeitzei in a Nutshell Was Aristarchus the first to propose heliocentrism? It only takes a minute to sign up. "Claiming Bilhah and Zilpah." Let's just move on. some modern Jewish feminists have reclaimed Bilhah and Zilpah as matriarchs, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. Something that sounds weird and wrong to me now might have made perfect sense in their day. The only other brothers who are not singled out with specific actions in the narrative are Leahs two sons Issachar and Zebulun. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. How hard it must have been to be an un-loved wife. This pushes me to actively seek out women who have been overlooked by our tradition, whether from the Torah or from more recent history. During the final stage of labor a woman would squat and be supported under the arms by one or two other women. What is the meaning of AD, BC, BCE and CE? Jacob was all too happy to oblige, and Bilhah popped out two more boys to bring the total to six. Bilhah was named so because of her stunning beauty. Yet they did it out of lovelove for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. 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. 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. Attractive design ideal for your home, office, church . Now back to Reuben. New Testament 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.[3]. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Possibly because of this complexity and their inherent lowly slave status for much of their lives, Zilpah and Bilhah do not get equal status as Matriarchs along with Leah and Rachel, their contemporaries (and owners). For 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. Their sacrifice reminds me of all the women who make similar sacrifices around the world today. Elsewhere in the World Book of Mormon, Study Guides Zilpah and Bilhah were always cooperative with their mistresses, unlike Hagar. Bilhah and Zilpah, women in the Bible Zilpah, whose name is believed to mean "drooping", was given to Leah as a handmaiden by Laban, Leah's father, when Leah was given to Jacob as a bride. Most havent. ( , ): , , ( , ): , ., "And Lavan spoke up and said to Ya'akov, 'The girls are my daughters, and the boys my sons.'" How did Zilpah and Bilhahs attitude and possible wifely status affect their childrens status? And Jacobs anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said. Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 7475, 137.11. To me, they are emblematic of all the women who have been left out of and left behind by history. 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. In later texts, Bilhah is remembered as one of the ancestresses of the Israelites. These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. 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). 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. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. Not exactly. What is significant about the names Rachel and Leah give their sons? It's all in there! They are often presented as slave-like objects in the narrative with no voice, who only act at the behest of others. In midrashic texts, Rabbis have long given Zilpah and Bilhah matriarchal status, alongside Leah and Rachel. What a great plan. Phone Toll Free: 877-966-7300 or 816-584-3077, [This article continues after a message from the authors], These Articles are Written by the Publishers of, Amazing Bible Timeline with World History 2023. It's Joseph, child #12, son #11, Jacob's favorite. They are casualties of nation building. While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. (Bereishit 31:43), Said R. Avin, 'They were all his daughters: "The girls are my daughters" gives two, "And as for my daughters, what should I do?" So, for those keeping count: Leah 6 (+1 daughter), Bilhah 2, Zilpah 2, Rachel 2. For this reason, some modern Jewish feminists have reclaimed Bilhah and Zilpah as matriarchs. Zilpah is first introduced in the Bible in Genesis 29:24. 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). The morning after the wedding, Laban explained to Jacob, "This is not done in our place, to give the younger before the older" (Genesis 29:26). And then, for good measure, she finishes out the brood with Benjamin (those must have been some powerful mandrakes). Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. . Both Bilhah and Zilpah had their own tent in Jacob's camp (Genesis 31:33). 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). In the Book of Genesis, Zilpah (Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans} Zlp, meaning uncertain)[1] was Leah's handmaid, presumed slave,[2] whom Leah gave to Jacob like a wife to bear him children (Genesis 30:9). more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilpah. The wife of Moses came from the Sudan area of Africa, yet still dont know here color. Where does the version of Hamapil that is different from the Gemara come from? King James Version of the Bible. 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. Answer Zilpah was Leah's handmaiden or servant whom Leah gave to her husband, Jacob, as a concubine. Zilpah and Bilhahs status was at many times unclear and was one of transition as the narrative unfolded, adding to the complexities. Read more from The Biblical Mind. Bilhah and Zilpah are considered lower-status individuals. Wilda Gafney in her book Womanist Midrash writes movingly, albeit briefly, on Zilpah and Bilah. Mignon R. Jacobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion: The Genesis Narratives and Contemporary Portrait (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 160.2. Why did Avraham prefer the daughters of Aner, Eshkol and Mamre over Eliezer's daughter? Zilpah and Bilhah, who are usually named together, had each other, while Hagar was alone. The only other brothers who are not singled out with specific actions in the narrative are Leahs two sons Issachar and Zebulun.10. And then well consider how to respond to our findings. I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. They fade into the background so easily. Yet they did it and through them came the 12 tribes of Israel the covenant family of the whole earth. Despite this relationship to Rachel, Dan and Naphtali continue to be considered Bilhahs sons, and that influences their standing in the family. I heard a teaching comparing the relationship of Jacob and Esau and the stolen birthright, with the relationship of Leah and Rachael. What Are The Names of the Thieves Crucified With Christ? Image Source. ), So, eight boys in, it's Leah's turn again! The blessings of Dan and Naphtali as tribes of Israel can be found in Genesis 49:16-17, and 21. Thank you for sharing it with us. It makes me wonder what sort of relationship Rachel and Leah had with them. 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). Probably the greatest sacrifice that any mother could ever make. Their children were considered Leah's and Rachel's. Yet in the potentially dangerous situation with Esau, she reverts to being called a maid (Hebrew shifhah). (Gen 29), Jacob did not buy Zilpah and Bilhah to be his legitimate wives. Their sacrifice reminds me of all the women who make similar sacrifices around the world today. Yet they did it out of love--love for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. [9], Reuben was Jacob's (Israel) eldest son with Leah. Share. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. 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.Questions To Think About: I am a scripture loving, book writing, baby snuggling, garden growing, faith-centered disciple, wife, mother, daughter, and sister. This is really an interesting conflict in the bible. Leah and Rachel, of course! Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 128.9. In Old Testament times this was an acceptable way for a married woman who was barren to gain children. 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. After birthing two children each for their mistresses, the maid-slaves wifely, procreative role ended and presumably Jacobs sexual access to them. Not exactly. There are some shenanigans with mandrakes (which also involve Jacob's first-born, Reuben; hold that thought), and Rachel finally gives birth! "Lower status" is a trigger for me. 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. Jacob favored Rachel, his other wife, and even loved her maidservant Bilhah more than Zilpah. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Rosman, Josephine. : Ethel Reynolds Smith, Why Having a December Birthday is NOT a Bummer. This lack of any qualifier title leaves the question of their status open ended. 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. Elisheva -- see notes on Tzipporah. They were considered concubines, or secondary wives of Jacob. 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. Particularly moving to hear from a young woman. Could a subterranean river or aquifer generate enough continuous momentum to power a waterwheel for the purpose of producing electricity? One last question remains. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Rabbis brought it from here: "If you afflict my daughters" (Bereishit 31:50) gives two. And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her." What did it take for them to share their husband with two other women? [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]. Walking With the Women of the Old Testament, Walking With the Women of the New Testament, Does the Journey Seem Long? Easily See 6017 Years of Biblical and World History Together! to Laban, the father of Leah and Rachel. Bilhah must have been very young when she bore her children, because Jacobs eldest son Reuben (by Leah) has sex with her (Gen 35:22). Wow, and what a crazy story about a 61 year old woman giving birth to her grandson that is really strange! The first son Rachel named Dan saying, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son. The second son Bilhah bore she named Naphtali and said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed.After Bilhah bore Rachel two sons Leah found that even though she already had four sons she was no longer able to have children. Bilhah and Zilpah most likely died in Israel (Genesis 46 sounds like they didn't come down to Egypt), but hadn't they been living in the South part of the country, not anywhere near Tiberias? Jewish Women's Archive. But dying in childbirth with Benjamin ended that. Sister of Bilhah / . why not correct the list to include the two maid-slave mothers? Do you think it would be harder or easier? Genesis 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. He was taken into captivity but redeemed by Laban, Rachel . By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Zilpah's background is unknown, other than the fact that Zilpah had been one of Laban's servants before Leah's marriage to Jacob. As Ive thought about these two great women and reflected on their sacrifices I cant help but marvel at what amazing women these two handmaidens must have been. May the God of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the God whose covenant is eternal, bless you and make you fruitful. Bilah is cited a few verses later in verse 25 of the same genealogy. Zilpah and Bilhahs relationship to their mistress changes when first Rachel and then Leah experience barrenness. See Schneiders Mothers of Promise: Women in the Book of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 103105.) In the Book of Genesis, Zilpah was Leah's handmaid, whom Leah gave to Jacob "to wife" to bear him children. So when Rachel meant that Bilhah would bear upon her knees she may have been referring to the actual. Rachel, who was Jacob's favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. rev2023.5.1.43405. 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. I had never heard of them before. The apocryphal Testament of Naftali says that Bilhah and Zilpah's father was named Rotheus. 7. Is there a minhag or halacha that states that men and women should be buried in separate cemetery plot areas? She is on the Biblical Timeline Poster between 1754-1704 BC. They were named Dan and Naphtali and raised by Rachel. Bilhah means "to become alarmed" ( lehibahel ). Jacobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion, 159160, 168.4. 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. 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. Later in her life, Bilhah would have sex with Reuben, Jacobs eldest son. Anyway, Rachel said that Jacob would go to Leah if Rachel could have the mandrakes that Reuben brought back. (though Rachel is not buried there either). This was done as part of an ongoing rivalry between Leah and her sister Rachel, Jacobs second and favorite wife. 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. In Jewish tradition, Zilpah is believed to be buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs in Tiberias. What nation/family there were from and why the Torah does not see the importance of telling us about that? And this is why the children are mentioned sans mothers, because the difference in status was no more for any involved, mothers or children.