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| Laban | | Brother of Rebecca and brother-in-law of Isaac, he lived in the city of Nachor (probably Charan, or Padan Aram) as a breeder of sheep and goats. He was responsible for the betrothal of Rebecca to Isaac (Genesis 24). Later, when Jacob fled from his brother Esau, he found refuge with Laban (Genesis 27:43; 29:4-5), working seven years to gain the hand of Laban's younger daughter Rachel, but was cheated into marrying her sister Leah. After serving Laban for 20 years, Jacob left in secret for his own home after arranging a satisfactory division of Laban's flock as payment (Genesis 30:25-43); Rachel stole Laban's household gods or fetishes. Laban pursued them, but could not find them due to Rachel's cunning (Genesis 31:22-35) and the two kinsmen evenually entered into a mutual non-aggression covenant at Gilead. | |
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| Leah | | Elder daughter of Laban, sister of Rachel; Jacob's first wife and mother of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah. She also had two adoptive sons by her handmaid Zilpah, Gad and Asher. Jacob fell in love with her younger sister Rachel, but Laban substituted Leah, who is described as having 'weak (or tender) eyes' (Genesis 29:17) for Rachel on Jacob's wedding night. Leah's identity appears to revolve around her desire to be loved by Jacob and bear him sons, and the bitter emnity between the sisters forms a large part of the narrative structure of the text (see the rivalry over the mandrakes, Genesis 30:14-20). | |
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| Lehavim | |
| Lemekh | 1. Lemekh was the son of Methuselah and the father of Noah (Genesis 10:13). He should be distinguished from Lemekh, the descendant of Cain.
2. Descendant of Cain, Lemekh married Adah and Tzillah, had three sons, Yaval, Yuval and Tuval-cain. He boasted to his wife that he had killed a man and a child, possibly according to tradition Cain and Tuval Cain (Genesis 4:18-24).
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| Letushim | |
| Leumim | |
| Levi, Levites | | Third son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 29:34), born in Padan-aram (Charan) and father of the tribe of Levi and the priestly Levites.The popular etymology of his name is from Leah's words: 'Now this time my husband will become attached (yillaveh to me'). He was a key figure in the affair of his sister Dinah, killing the men of Shechem with his brother Simeon, incurring the anger of Jacob against them (Genesis 34, cf. 49:7, Jacob's curse on his deathbed). Levi was later involved together with his brothers in the events that led to the selling of his brother Joseph into slavery in Egypt. He had three sons, Gershon, Kehath and Merari whose descendants became Temple servants. The Levites were ordained as a tribe dedicated to God as a result of their loyalty to Moses during the Exodus, when they had 3,000 people put to death for idolatry (Exodus 32:26-29) | |
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| Livni | |
| Lot | | Son of Haran and nephew of Abraham, c. 18-15 centuries B.C.E. Migrated with Abraham to Canaan, but later parted company with him and moved to Sodom. Lot was warned by two strangers (angels) of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and left towards Tzoar with his wife, who was changed to a pillar of salt when she looked back. Lot fled to a cave with his two daughters who made him drunk and seduced him to continue the family line, thus becoming the ancestresses of Moab and Ammon respectively. | |
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| Lotan | |
| Lud | | Son of Shem and grandson of Noah. Almost certainly the eponymous ancestor of the Lydians, who lived in what is now Turkey. | |
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| Ludim | |
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