Genesis Vol 3.pdf - College Press

PROVISIONS FOR POSTERITY 2 3 : 1-2 J ; 1 8
It seems obvious (from v. 67) that Sarah’s death had
affected Isaac deeply. Rebekah’s arrival proved to be a
source of solace and strength. (As a matter of fact,
subsequent events sliow that the wife was the stronger
willed of the two: to say that Isaac was not characterized
by aggressiveness is putting it mildly: it would be more
nearly right, we think, to speak of him as “henpecked,”)
It seems that “out of respect for Sarah, her tent remained
dismantled after her death until Rebekah came” (SC, 132).
Dr. Speiser again calls our attention to the fact that
the details recorded about Isaac’s marriage. can no longer
be regarded as doubtful; any notion that the story was
invented, he says, should be dispelled by what we know
today about Hurrian marriage practices-which were
normative in the region of Haran-when the brother acted
in place of the father. “The pertinent marriage contract
would then come under the heading of ‘sistership docu-
ment.’ A composite agreement of this kind would embody
the following specifications: (a) the principals in the case,
(b) nature of the transaction, (c) details of payments,
(d) the girl’s declaration of concurrence, (e) penalty
clause. A close study of vss. 50 ff. should show that what
we have there is virtually a restatement, in suitable literary
form, of such a ‘sistership document.’ For principals we
have this time, on the one hand, Abraham’s servant as the
spokesman for the father of the groom, and, on the other
hand, Laban as the responsible representative of the pro-
spective bride. The transaction is thus necessarily of the
‘sistership’ type, since it is the girl’s brother who acts on
the request. The emissary gives presents to the girl, but
does not neglect the ‘gifts’ for her brother and mother,
which must cover the customary bride payment. Most
significant of all, in view of the detailed evidence from
Nuzi, is the statement that Rebekah herself should be con-
sulted (57) ; her reply is in the affirmative, ‘I will go’
(58). The Nuzi text says in similar cases , . . ‘myself
477