Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Genesis

[Awesome]

In Genenis Sarah, Leah, and Rachel all once told their husbands to have their children though their maids. It was the first and still is the only place where I found such tradition. Why was there such a tradition in the Ancient Near East? Did it continue? Was this tradition found anywhere else? Why was there such a tradition? Was it widespread in the region? Did it have something to do with the family of Abraham being shepherds? Did the children born by the maids belong to the maids or their madams? Sorry for all these questions. I don't understand this tradition tbh.

[jimwalton]

In the ancient Near East (ANE), having children was of primary importance for the sake of survival, but it was also a cultural value to carry on the family name, including keeping the land and property in the family. Having an heir was critical, and not being able to bear children was one of the highest shames.

It was culturally acceptable and widely sanctioned in the ANE to use a slave as a surrogate. Some Hurrian marriage contracts specified that a wife, if barren, must take steps to furnish a son by these means (also in the Code of Hammurabi). It was not only customary, but sometimes contractually dictated. While Abraham was monogamous, concubinage was not considered as polygamy. Any children by a concubine would by law be considered as belonging to the mistress.

John Walton writes, "In the ancient world marriages represented alliances between clans. They were arranged by parents and were intended to propagate the race and the family. Bearing children was a central part of the equation. If a woman proved unable to bear children, she could be dismissed with no questions asked. Her status in the family was dependent on bearing children. Marriage contracts therefore sought to protect a wife who could not bear children, and one way to do that was to stipulate the identification of the surrogate. This is exactly what Sarah was doing when she identified Hagar as someone who could bear a child in her stead. This was culturally acceptable and sometimes mandated by contract."

You asked a lot of questions. If this summary doesn't answer them all, please ask again, or ask further. I'm willing to talk more.

[Awesome]

> Code of Hammurabi

Thank you so much! I really learned a lot from your comment. You also covered a lot of things I didn't think of asking. I wasn't aware Code of Hammurabi included this idea already. Abraham was originally from Mesopotamia, so maybe that was a tradition he brought from there too.

Speaking of this, I think of another thing with Abraham's family. Iirc, Abraham insisted on marrying Issac a wife from his original people that he went an old servant of his to go back to his original place from Canaan and get a wife back. Why is that?

[jimwalton]

> Abraham was originally from Mesopotamia, so maybe that was a tradition he brought from there too.

This tradition was all over the ANE. Survival along with perpetuation and protection of property and goods were paramount.

> Abraham insisted on marrying Issac a wife from his original people that he went an old servant of his to go back to his original place from Canaan and get a wife back. Why is that?

God was giving the land to Abraham and his progeny. The Canaanites were therefore destined to disinherit the land. They were going to be driven away because of their sin. If Isaac were to marry a Canaanite, then the Canaanites would have a legitimate claim to the land, as much as any Israelite, since they all had Abraham as their father and were then potentially children of the promise. Instead, Abraham's progeny is to become a distinct family with a completely separate ancestral line than anything Canaanite.

[Awesome]

Thank you so much again