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101 Myths of the Bible: how ancient scribes - Conscious Evolution TV

101 Myths of the Bible: how ancient scribes - Conscious Evolution TV

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<strong>Myths</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Founders 163<br />

As Jacob’s firstborn, Reuben should have been expected to be <strong>the</strong> heir to <strong>the</strong><br />

covenant, yet, in fact, he wasn’t. Scribes needed to explain this discrepancy and competing<br />

stories emerged, one from Judah and one from Ephraim.<br />

The Ephramite story simply held that Ephraim was heir to <strong>the</strong> covenant through<br />

Joseph and that Joseph took precedence over Judah because he was <strong>the</strong> first son <strong>of</strong><br />

Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel. As <strong>the</strong> rival Leah faction emerged with Reuben at <strong>the</strong><br />

head, Judah, fourth in line for <strong>the</strong> leadership, put out <strong>the</strong> story that Reuben had been<br />

disqualified from leadership because he attempted to sleep with Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid<br />

and wife <strong>of</strong> Jacob. This story moved Judah into <strong>the</strong> number three position and<br />

he only had to remove two more opponents, Simeon and Levi (See Myth #65).

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