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The Jacob Traditions. Shepherd (Jacob/Israel) vs . Hunter (Esau/Edom) Theophany at Bethel Young Shepherd (Jacob/Israel) vs. Old Shepherd (Laban/Aram) Theophany at Penuel Shepherd (Jacob/Israel) vs. Hunter (Esau/Edom). Jacob in the ancient sources.
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The Jacob Traditions • Shepherd (Jacob/Israel) vs. Hunter (Esau/Edom) • Theophany at Bethel • Young Shepherd (Jacob/Israel) vs. Old Shepherd (Laban/Aram) • Theophany at Penuel • Shepherd (Jacob/Israel) vs. Hunter (Esau/Edom)
Jacob in the ancient sources • J: grabs heel of Esau; Yahweh beside Jacob; fugitive gets blessing; blessing to Laban; Israel as he enters the land; I won’t let you go until you bless me • E: Esau unworthy of first born rights (lentils); Jacob makes/fulfills vow about Bethel; Jacob’s ladder; angels; menstruating woman vs. gods • P Isaac willingly blesses Jacob; land yours when you are far from home; seeks wife among own family; name changed to Israel
Where do I find God? Gen 28:10-22 • Context within Genesis • Ladder? Ramp? Staircase? Ziggurat • God-angels-Jacob (or the LORD stood beside him) • Land; offspring; blessing to all families of the earth • Bethel = house of God
Gen 28:10-22 (continued) • Vow: • Yahweh will be my God • This pillar shall be God’s house • I will give one tenth to you • Traditional; orthodox
Where do I find God? Gen 32:22-32 • 16 people in Jacob’s entourage • Jabbok: river on the East side of the Jordan • Who wrestled with Jacob? • man? • dirty fighter, who can’t stand daylight • God (refuses to give name; striven with God; Peniel or Penuel [= face of God]) • angel
Gen 32:22-32 • Etiologies • Israel • Penuel • Jacob’s limp • sciatic nerve • Strangeness of the story; its long history • Modern parallels
Where do I find God? Gen 33:1-11 • Esau has 25 to 1 odds against Jacob(v. 1) • triage of Jacob(v. 2) • “for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God--since you have received me with such favor (v. 10)”
The Rape/Humiliation of Dinah Genesis 34 • Jacob father of Dinah • Hamor father of Shechem • Dinah--openness to outsiders • Rape? Date rape? Sexual relations with outsiders • Jacob’s silence vs. the rage of the brothers
Dinah (continued) • The openness of Hamor and Shechem • The deceitful deal of the brothers: “Be circumcised” • “If you do not listen to us, we will take our daughter and be gone.” • What does Dinah think about all this? • Where was she? Was she with Shechem?
The Aftermath of the Dinah Incident • Gen 49:5-7: Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords…Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.
Dinah (continued) • “This is a good deal”, Hamor and Shechem • All men of Shechem were circumcised…and disabled • Simeon and Levi • killed all the males in the city, • killed Hamor and Shechem; • took Dinah out of Shechem’s house (!), • other sons plundered the city.
Dinah (continued) • Jacob: “You have made me odious” • Simeon and Levi said: Should our sister be treated like a whore? • By Shechem? By Jacob? • In what sense is Dinah a whore? • Shechem paid for her • Sex outside society’s mores; no bonding possible • Where does the narrator stand?