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Raamah | |
Rachel | One of the matriarchs of Israel. Younger daughter of Laban second wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. On his mother Rebecca's advice, Jacob escaped the wrath of his brother Esau by fleeing to Charan to procure one of the daughters of Laban as a bride (Genesis 27:46-28:5). Jacob fell in love with Rachel when she was watering her sheep at a well: she was 'shapely and beautiful' (Genesis 29:17), and agreed to work seven years for her, but was tricked by Laban into marrying her sister Leah instead. Jacob worked a further seven years for Rachel. While Leah had four sons by Jacob, Rachel was childless and in desperation gave Jacob her maid Bilhah and adopted the two sons she had, Dan and Naphtali. She finally had a son, Joseph . While leaving Laban, Rachel stole and concealed her father's household fetishes (Genesis 31:34).She died after giving birth to Benjamin, whom she named Ben-oni ('My Sorrow's Son'). Rachel was buried in Bethlehem, on the road to Ephrath: Rachel's tomb remains a pilgrimage spot today. | |
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Ram | |
Rebecca | The second of the biblical matriarchs, Rebecca was the daughter of Bethuel and the granddaughter of Nachor, Abraham's brother. She lived in Padan-aram. Abraham's servant Eliezer met her by a well when sent to look for a bride for Isaac from Abraham's family . She married Isaac and after many years bore him twin sons, Esau and Jacob and played a decisive part in Jacob's obtaining the birthright in preference to Esau. At her death, Rebecca was buried in the family tomb in the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron. | |
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Rephaim | |
Reu | |
Reuben | Eldest son of Jacob, by his wife Leah. His name can be translated as 'see, a son' (reu ben). He found mandrakes growing in a field (Genesis 30:14) and gave them to his mother who bartered them with Rachel. He later slept with Jacob's concubine Bilhah, an incident which is said to have brought about Jacob's curse on his deathbed (Genesis 49:4). When the other brothers plotted to kill Joseph, Reuben intervened by having him placed in a pit (Genesis 37:21), thus saving his life; later, he tried to reason with his father to agree to let him take responsibility for Benjamin in Egypt (Genesis 42:37). Ancestor of the tribe of Reuben. | |
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Reuel | |
Reumah | |
Riphath | One of the sons of Gomer; possibly Parkvi, in Iran, or Hadiyv, which is identified with Adiebena, a district in Assyria between the Lycus and Caprus rivers. Rabbinical sources suggest that the Etruscans, who later settled in Italy, Venice and France, were descended from Riphath. | |
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Rosh | |
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