Jacob, also known as Israel, was a patriarch in the Hebrew Bible whose story is told in the book of Genesis. He was the son of Isaac and Rebecca, the grandson of Abraham and Sarah, and he is considered one of the three patriarchs of the Jewish religion, along with his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham.
Jacob had two wives - Leah and Rachel, and two concubines - Bilhah and Zilpah. Leah was the elder sister of Rachel and she was given to Jacob in marriage through a trick performed by Laban, their father. Jacob was in love with Rachel and wanted to marry her, but Laban deceived him and substituted Leah for Rachel on their wedding night. Later, Jacob also married Rachel, and these two sisters were his primary wives.
Bilhah was Rachel’s handmaid and Zilpah was Leah’s handmaid. Jacob’s marriages to his concubines occurred because Leah and Rachel gave their handmaids to Jacob as wives in order to bear children on their behalf, a common practice in those times when a woman was unable to conceive. Through his wives and concubines, Jacob fathered twelve sons and one daughter. These twelve sons became the ancestors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
In the cultural and societal context of the time, polygamy was an accepted practice. The ancient Near East society where Jacob lived was largely agrarian, and having more children meant that there were more hands to help with the demanding agricultural work. Furthermore, high infant mortality rates and the importance placed on male heirs for inheritance purposes also contributed to the acceptance of polygamy. In addition to practical reasons, God's covenant with Abraham, where He promised to make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, may have also shaped these marital norms. Lastly, polygamy was also pursued to build alliances and social bonds.
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3 фев 2024
