One day, Jacob's daughter Dinah walked off into the area around their home to mingle with the other women of the land. While out, she caught the eye of the local ruler Shechem, who took her and "violated" her. He took a shine to her (he's a big romantic, evidently), and not quite understanding that this isn't the proper way to court a woman, he and his father Hamor go to see Jacob about a possible marriage between the couple.
By the time Shechem and Hamor arrive, Jacob and his sons have already learned of what happened to Dinah. Shechem is willing to offer them anything in exchange for a marriage with Dinah. Jacob's sons tell him that if he and all the males of his family get circumcised (again, a sign of one's pact with the God of Abraham), then they will give their sister over to him. Shechem accepts their terms and wasting no time he goes off and circumcises himself and the men of his family.
I imagine that recovery from a modern circumcision must be painful, so I can't even begin to think of what it must have been like back in the Biblical days (no anesthetic!). While the guys are all nursing their manhoods back to health, Jacob's sons seize the opportunity to invade Shechem's home, kill all the men in his family and ransack all their stuff.
There ain't no turning the other cheek about it. This is blood-thirsty revenge.
Pop Cultural References to Genesis 34: The Red Tent, by Anita Diamont. A book based (loosely) on the story of Dinah.
No comments:
Post a Comment