Rachael Steals the household gods of her father
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Rachael Steals the household gods of her father
by Calypso Jones Tue Jul 09, 2024 8:33 pm
and Laban, her father, chases down Jacob thinking he stole the statue gods. The same ones that she hid under herself and she claimed when her father entered the tent that she could not get up because she was in the 'womanly way'? What's all the fuss?? Well now we know because of the translation of older historical documents out of the ANE..Ancient Near East What all the fuss was about.
See link;
https://answersingenesis.org/archaeology/ane-tablets-discovered-nuzi/
In Genesis 31, we read the account of Rachel stealing her father’s “household gods,” or teraphim. Laban reacted strongly and set out on a furious pace to confront Jacob (whom he believed had stolen them). But why all the fuss about a few figurines, and why would Laban demand a boundary marker from Jacob (Genesis 31:51–52) when he did not find the teraphim?
Previous to the discovery of the Nuzi documents, the whole situation was obscure, and it would have been equally so at the time of the Israelite kingdom when, according to the critics, the story would have been composed. The tablets from Nuzi show that according to Hurrian custom at that early time, if a man desired to appoint a son-in-law as his principal heir he would turn over to him his household gods. After the man’s death, appearance in court with the household gods would be accepted as proof of such a disposition. Rachel was trying to secure all of Laban’s property for her husband, and Jacob was rightfully indignant at being accused of attempting such an underhanded trick. The whole incident becomes understandable in the light of these facts, and it becomes clear why Laban, still suspicious, desired that a boundary stone be put up at Mizpah, and that Jacob should swear that he would not pass over this boundary in order to do him harm (31:44–53, esp. v. 52). The Nuzi tablets make it clear that a great part of Laban’s reason for this was his desire that at his death, the remainder of his property should go to his own sons and not be taken away from them by Jacob. It is good to note that later Jacob demanded that any strange gods in the hands of his people be buried (35:2–4), and that at no time did Jacob try to make false use of these teraphim.
See link;
https://answersingenesis.org/archaeology/ane-tablets-discovered-nuzi/
In Genesis 31, we read the account of Rachel stealing her father’s “household gods,” or teraphim. Laban reacted strongly and set out on a furious pace to confront Jacob (whom he believed had stolen them). But why all the fuss about a few figurines, and why would Laban demand a boundary marker from Jacob (Genesis 31:51–52) when he did not find the teraphim?
Previous to the discovery of the Nuzi documents, the whole situation was obscure, and it would have been equally so at the time of the Israelite kingdom when, according to the critics, the story would have been composed. The tablets from Nuzi show that according to Hurrian custom at that early time, if a man desired to appoint a son-in-law as his principal heir he would turn over to him his household gods. After the man’s death, appearance in court with the household gods would be accepted as proof of such a disposition. Rachel was trying to secure all of Laban’s property for her husband, and Jacob was rightfully indignant at being accused of attempting such an underhanded trick. The whole incident becomes understandable in the light of these facts, and it becomes clear why Laban, still suspicious, desired that a boundary stone be put up at Mizpah, and that Jacob should swear that he would not pass over this boundary in order to do him harm (31:44–53, esp. v. 52). The Nuzi tablets make it clear that a great part of Laban’s reason for this was his desire that at his death, the remainder of his property should go to his own sons and not be taken away from them by Jacob. It is good to note that later Jacob demanded that any strange gods in the hands of his people be buried (35:2–4), and that at no time did Jacob try to make false use of these teraphim.
Calypso Jones- Posts : 27169
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