Friday, April 16, 2010

Entry 14- reading day 12

Genesis 30

Dear Reader,

What I am wondering after reading this chapter is 1) why were Rachel and Lea so obsessed with giving Jacob children that they encouraged him to sleep with the handmaids? Personally, I think Lea should have just giving Jacob up, because it's obvious, he didn't want her, but rather her sister. It's kind of like Like Water for Chocolate in that way. Personally, I'd rather be alone than force myself on someone.

But than I am a modern woman and these were far from such. I guess back in the day all a woman had was her man and children and even if someone must be forced to marry her it was better than in being alone. Did I mention how glad I was to be born in 1976 rather than Before Christ?

The second thing I'm curious about is why several verses of a Bible chapter were devoted to cows, of all things. The Bible is a very important book, why spend quite a long time talking about cows, hardly a worthy subject for such an important book.

The last thing I noticed was that one sons was named Joseph. Is that the Joseph, as in Mary and Joseph. If so, that section makes a little more sense. Still curious about the cows, though.

3 comments:

  1. Misogyny.

    The cows, oral tradition. Some things were part of the memeplex that didn't make it. More evidence to the "Written entirely by humans based on those humans ideas" so much more lile.y

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  2. What misogyny... more like bad choices.

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  3. Actually I'm pretty sure that the cows symbolize God's growing love for Jacob. In the Bible, wealth and prosperity indicates favor with God. Anyway, that was the thinking of the storytellers back then.
    Martina, this is a different Joseph than the one who is believed to be Jesus' daddy. This Joseph is the one that Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the musical about; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

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