Patriarchs (Bible)

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Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, imagined here in a Bible illustration from 1897. Foster Bible Pictures 0032-1.jpg
Abraham, Sarah and Hagar , imagined here in a Bible illustration from 1897.
Isaac blessing his son, as painted by Giotto di Bondone Giotto di Bondone 080.jpg
Isaac blessing his son, as painted by Giotto di Bondone
Jacob Wrestling with the Angel by Eugene Delacroix Lutte de Jacob avec l'Ange.jpg
Jacob Wrestling with the Angel by Eugène Delacroix

The patriarchs (Hebrew : אבות ʾAvot , "fathers") of the Bible, when narrowly defined, are Abraham, his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob, also named Israel, the ancestor of the Israelites. These three figures are referred to collectively as "the patriarchs", and the period in which they lived is known as the patriarchal age.

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Judaism, Christianity, and Islam hold that the patriarchs, along with their primary wives, known as the matriarchs (Sarah, Rebekah and Leah), are entombed at the Cave of the Patriarchs, a site held holy by the three religions. Rachel, Jacob's other wife, is said to be buried separately at what is known as Rachel's Tomb, near Bethlehem, at the site where she is believed to have died in childbirth.

More widely, the term patriarchs can be used to refer to the twenty male ancestor-figures between Adam and Abraham. The first ten of these are called the antediluvian patriarchs, because they came before the Flood.

Scholars have taken a mixed view as to the Patriarchs's historicity, with archaeology so far producing no direct evidence for their existence. [1] [2]

Definition

The patriarchs of the Bible, when narrowly defined, are Abraham, his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob, also named Israel, the ancestor of the Israelites. These three figures are referred to collectively as the patriarchs, and the period in which they lived is known as the patriarchal age. They play significant roles in Hebrew scripture during and following their lifetimes. They are used as a significant marker by God in revelations [3] and promises, [4] and continue to play important roles in the Abrahamic faiths. Judaism, Christianity and Islam hold that the patriarchs, along with their primary wives, known as the matriarchsSarah (wife of Abraham), Rebekah (wife of Isaac) and Leah (one of the wives of Jacob) – are entombed at the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron, a site held holy by the three religions. Rachel is said to be buried separately at what is known as Rachel's Tomb, near Bethlehem, at the site where she is believed to have died in childbirth. [5]

More widely, the term patriarchs can be used to refer to the twenty male ancestor-figures between Adam and Abraham. The first ten of these are called the antediluvian patriarchs, because they came before the Flood.

Lifespans

The lifetimes given for the patriarchs in the Masoretic Text of the Book of Genesis are: Adam 930 years, Seth 912, Enos 905, Kenan 910, Mahalalel 895, Jared 962, Enoch 365 (did not die, but was taken away by God), Methuselah 969, Lamech 777, Noah 950. [6] Gerhard von Rad said:

The long lives ascribed to the patriarchs cause remarkable synchronisms and duplications. Adam lived to see the birth of Lamech, the ninth member of the genealogy; Seth lived to see the translation of Enoch and died shortly before the birth of Noah. Noah outlived Abram's grandfather, Nahor, and died in Abram's sixtieth year. Shem, Noah's son, even outlived Abram. He was still alive when Esau and Jacob were born! [7]

AbrahamTerahNahor, son of SerugSerugReuPelegEberSelah (biblical figure)CainanArpachshadShemNoahLamech (father of Noah)MethuselahEnochJared (biblical figure)MahalalelKenanEnos (biblical figure)SethAdamGenesis flood narrativePatriarchs (Bible)

Explanation of color-codes:

  1. Methuselah survived the flood according to the Septuagint (but not the Masoretic text or Syriac Peshitta), even though he was not on Noah's Ark. [8]

Matriarchs

Cave of the Patriarchs, Hebron Grave Ishaq.JPG
Cave of the Patriarchs, Hebron

The matriarchs, also known as "the four mothers" (ארבע האמהות), are: [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham</span> Hebrew patriarch according to the Hebrew Bible

Abraham is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jews and God; in Christianity, he is the spiritual progenitor of all believers, whether Jewish or non-Jewish; and in Islam, he is a link in the chain of Islamic prophets that begins with Adam and culminates in Muhammad. As the namesake of the Abrahamic religions, Abraham is also revered in other Abrahamic religions, such as Druze Faith and Baháʼí Faith.

The Book of Genesis is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its first word, Bereshit. Genesis is an account of the creation of the world, the early history of humanity, and the origins of the Jewish people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac</span> Biblical patriarch, son of Abraham and Sarah

Isaac is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Isaac first appears in the Book of Genesis, later adopted by the Hebrew tradition of the Torah, in which he is considered to be the son of Abraham and Sarah, the father of Jacob and Esau, and the grandfather of the twelve tribes of Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob</span> Regarded Patriarch of the Israelites

Jacob, later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, and Islam. Jacob first appears in the Book of Genesis, originating from the Hebrew tradition in the Torah. Described as the son of Isaac and Rebecca, and the grandson of Abraham, Sarah, and Bethuel, Jacob is presented as the second-born among Isaac's children. His fraternal twin brother is the elder, named Esau, according to the biblical account. Jacob is said to have bought Esau's birthright and, with his mother's help, deceived his aging father to bless him instead of Esau. Later in the narrative, following a severe drought in his homeland of Canaan, Jacob and his descendants, with the help of his son Joseph, moved to Egypt where Jacob died at the age of 147. He is supposed to have been buried in the Cave of Machpelah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methuselah</span> Longest-lived figure mentioned in the Bible

Methuselah was a biblical patriarch and a figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He is claimed to have lived the longest life, dying at 969 years of age. According to the Book of Genesis, Methuselah was the son of Enoch, the father of Lamech, and the grandfather of Noah. Elsewhere in the Bible, Methuselah is mentioned in genealogies in 1 Chronicles and the Gospel of Luke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah</span> Biblical character

Sarah is a biblical matriarch, prophet, and major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pious woman, renowned for her hospitality and beauty, the wife and half-sister of Abraham, and the mother of Isaac. Sarah has her feast day on 1 September in the Catholic Church, 19 August in the Coptic Orthodox Church, 20 January in the LCMS, and 12 and 20 December in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bilhah</span> Biblical character; handmaid

Bilhah is a woman mentioned in the Book of Genesis. Genesis 29:29 describes her as Laban's handmaiden (שִׁפְחָה), who was given to Rachel to be her handmaid on Rachel's marriage to Jacob. When Rachel failed to have children, Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob like a wife to bear him children. Bilhah gave birth to two sons, whom Rachel claimed as her own and named Dan and Naphtali. Genesis 35:22 expressly calls Bilhah Jacob's concubine, a pilegesh. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leah</span> Biblical matriarch

Leah appears in the Hebrew Bible as one of the two wives of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. Leah was Jacob's first wife, and the older sister of his second wife Rachel. She is the mother of Jacob's first son Reuben. She has three more sons, namely Simeon, Levi and Judah, but does not bear another son until Rachel offers her a night with Jacob in exchange for some mandrake root. Leah gives birth to two more sons after this, Issachar and Zebulun, and to Jacob's only daughter, Dinah.

In the Book of Genesis, Zilpah was Leah's handmaid whom Leah gave to Jacob like a wife to bear him children. Zilpah gave birth to two sons, whom Leah claimed as her own and named Gad and Asher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naphtali</span> Biblical figure and the sixth son of Jacob through his concubine Bilhah

According to the Book of Genesis, Naphtali was the sixth son of Jacob, the second of his two sons with Bilhah. He was the founder of the Israelite tribe of Naphtali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laban (Bible)</span> Biblical figure

Laban, also known as Laban the Aramean, is a figure in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible. He was the brother of Rebekah, the woman who married Isaac and bore Jacob. Laban welcomed his nephew, and set him the stipulation of seven years' labour before he permitted him to marry his daughter Rachel. Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his elder daughter Leah instead. Jacob then took Rachel as his second wife, on condition of serving an additional seven years' labour.

The genealogies of Genesis provide the framework around which the Book of Genesis is structured. Beginning with Adam, genealogical material in Genesis 4, 5, 10, 11, 22, 25, 29–30, 35–36, and 46 moves the narrative forward from the creation to the beginnings of the Israelites' existence as a people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twelve Tribes of Israel</span> National origin story in the Hebrew Bible

The Twelve Tribes of Israel are, according to Hebrew scriptures, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob, who collectively form the Israelite nation. The tribes were through his twelve sons through his wives, Leah and Rachel, and his concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah. In modern scholarship, there is skepticism as to whether there ever were twelve Israelite tribes, with the use of the number 12 thought more likely to signify a symbolic tradition as part of a national founding myth, although some scholars disagree with this view.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vayetze</span> 7th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel</span> Biblical figure

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamech (father of Noah)</span> Biblical patriarch, descendant of Seth

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References

  1. Mandell, Alice (2022). "Genesis and its Ancient Literary Analogues". In Arnold, Bill T. (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Genesis. Cambridge University Press. pp. 143–46. ISBN   978-1-108-42375-5.
  2. Faust, Avraham (2022). "Between the Biblical Story and History: Writing an Archaeological History of Ancient Israel". In Keimer, Kyle H.; Pierce, George A. (eds.). The Ancient Israelite World. Taylor & Francis. pp. 71–72. ISBN   978-1-000-77324-8.
  3. Exodus 3:6
  4. Leviticus 26:42
  5. "Dark Mirrors of Heaven - Timeline of the Patriarchs". 2008-04-30. Archived from the original on 2008-04-30. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
  6. "Ages of the patriarchs in Genesis". Archived from the original on 2008-10-22.
  7. Von Rad, Gerhard (1961). Genesis: A Commentary. Translated by Marks, J. H. Philadelphia: Westminster Press. ISBN   9781611645958.
  8. Cassuto, Umberto (1972). A Commentary on the Book of Genesis Part I From Adam to Noah. Translated by Israel Abrahams. Jerusalem: The Magnes Press. pp. 264–5. ISBN   978-965-223-480-3.
  9. Babylonian Talmud, Brachot 16b
  10. Kaunfer, A. (Winter 1995). "Who Knows Four? The Imahot in Rabbinic Judaism" . Judaism. 44 (1): 94.
  11. For example Esther Rabbah 1:12
  12. Reiss, M.; Zucker, D. J. (May 2014). "Co-opting the Secondary Matriarchs: Bilhah, Zilpah, Tamar, and Aseneth" . Biblical Interpretation. 22 (3): 307–324. doi:10.1163/15685152-00223p04.