Jacob and Laban | A Biblical Story in Art

By Stuart Forrest

Jacob and Laban: A Biblical Story in Art

Genesis, the first book of The Holy Bible, tells the story of God’s creation of mankind and ends with Jacob, and his household of 70, moving to Egypt to become the seeds of the Jewish people that will be liberated by Moses. At least thirty-eight notable master painters, including: Jean de Paris in 1360, Gerard Hoet in 1728, Raffaello “Raphael” Sanzio da Urbino in 1518, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni in the Sistine Chapel, and Joseph Harry Anderson in 1937, created art depicting the life of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. This exploration will focus on works of art that depict Jacob’s history with Laban, his uncle, through his mother Rebecca.

Jacob’s Biblical Significance

One understands, after reading Genesis, that God promised to make Abraham ’a great nation’, (Genesis 12:2) even though his wife was well beyond her child-bearing years. Soon, Abraham fathered two sons (Galatians 4:22-31). His first son and heir, Isaac, was born to his wife Sarah. His second son, Ishmael, was born to his wife’s servant, Hager.

At the age of forty, Isaac fathered fraternal twins through his wife Rebekah, who was considered barren until she was blessed by God (Genesis 25:19-34). The two sons were different in temperament and intelligence. Esau, the first born, was described as red-haired, rash, shorttempered and preferred the outdoors and hunting. His younger brother, Jacob, was handsome, crafty, and preferred to stay close to home.

Unlike a stereotypical hero, Jacob’s successes were a product of his guile rather than noble qualities. He tricked his brother out of his birthright and, with his mother’s help, he tricked

Abraham into giving him a ‘final blessing’ (normally the right of the first born) by pretending to be Esau.

Before his death, Jacob fathered twelve sons (and at least one daughter) who are recorded as progenitors of the ‘Twelve Tribes of Israel’. The story of Jacob and Laban initiates a repeated theme of conquest and/or diaspora; disruption and dispersal of Jews by foreign powers followed by liberation and eventual restoration of their homeland. The story of Jacob’s servitude to Laban, is followed later by Moses’ liberation of the Jews from Egypt. Still later, the Assyrian conquest of Israel in 721(2) B.C., the Babylonian conquest of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C., Persian rule from 530 to 331 B.C, Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Persian Empire, and the revolt of the Jews against Roman rule under the leadership of the Maccabees; all were followed by the reestablishment of the Jewish people in Israel.

Jacob’s

Servitude and Liberation

In the specific case of Jacob, he suffered the animosity of his older brother, Esau due to his crafty manipulations mentioned above, and Esau’s jealousy. Eventually, Esau was overheard vowing to kill Jacob after their father’s death. Rebekah convinced Isaac to send him to his uncle, Laban, in Paddam-Aram (within Mesopotamia) to find a wife, and avoid conflict with his brother.

Shortly after arriving in Paddam-Aram, he met Laban’s daughter, Rachel. He immediately fell in love with her and asked Laban for her hand in marriage. Laban agreed upon the condition that he work for him for seven years. After the completion of seven years, Laban reneged on his pledge, and instead, offering Jacob his other daughter Leah. Jacob objected, but Laban would only comply with his promise if Jacob agreed to work for him an additional seven years. The story of

Jacob and Laban finally ended after 14 years when Jacob fled with his two wives after swindling Laban of a large part of his wealth, a huge portion of his sheep. Laban and his sons pursued Jacob and overtook him in Mizpah. There, Jacob and Laban reconciled their differences through a covenant that bound Jacob to never abuse Laban’s daughters or take on additional wives. They memorialized the covenant by erecting stones on the site of their covenant. Other interpretations claimed that the stones were eventually built into a watchtower. Mizpah is Hebrew for "lord watch over me" and has also been interpreted to mean “watchtower”.

Jacob returned to his homeland, but because of a famine, he took his family to Egypt where conditions were better. He died in Egypt at approximately 147 years of age.

Jacob Outsmarts Laban

Genesis 30:25-43

Verse 25 of chapter 30 begins a peculiar story that very few seem to understand. But understanding Jacob's reasoning in his strange deal with Laban can help us to better see Jacob's character.

Jacob had served Laban 14 years. Now he wished to depart and return to his father in Canaan. Laban, however, was eager to have Jacob remain, for God had blessed everything Jacob did while in Laban's household, and Laban had grown rich. "Name me your wages, and I will give it," Laban said (verse 28), hoping to entice Jacob to stay. "You shall not give me anything,"

Jacob replied. Jacob took out the colored and spotted sheep and gave them to Laban, whose sons took them away three days' journey (verse 36). This left Jacob with only the pure white sheep.

The last clause of verse 32, "and these shall be my wages," is a little confusing. The Hebrew literally says, "it shall be [i.e., in the future] my wages." Jacob was not saying that the spotted and colored sheep he removed from the flock would be his wages. Instead, "You shall not give me anything," were Jacob's words. The spotted and colored sheep were given to the sons of Laban, who drove them three days' journey away. Instead, Jacob was saying that in the future any spotted or colored sheep born in the flock that Jacob would tend would be his wages. But this seemed impossible to Laban—Jacob was left with only the white sheep! How could white sheep bear spotted and colored sheep? That is why Laban so hastily agreed to the deal: "Oh, that it were according to your word!" (verse 34).

Now, the beginning of verse 33 is most important. "So, my righteousness will answer for me in the time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you...." This telling declaration is a profound revelation of Jacob's character. Notice verse 38: "And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink." The word "conceive" is translated from the Hebrew yacham, literally meaning "to be hot," and which, when speaking of animals, can mean "to be in heat." By peeling the fresh cut rods (verse 37), Jacob caused the sap-filled meat of the rods to be exposed, thus possibly allowing the sap of the rods to mingle with the water in the watering troughs. Perhaps he believed this additive in the water would help to bring the animals to heat. It has also been suggested that the peeled rods were used as a sort of corralling fence, set up when the flocks came to drink to keep them together longer for mating. Verses 41-42 also inform us that Jacob practiced selective breeding, ensuring that the best of the flock would be subject to his treatment of the water.

But all this did not produce the spotted and colored sheep. These actions only aided Jacob in selecting which sheep would breed at what time. God caused the unusual coloration of the sheep. As Jacob said: "My righteousness will answer for me." The production of colored sheep was God's response to Jacob's righteousness. Indeed, we later find out that Laban, seeing the results, kept changing the deal about which sheep Jacob would get—and, in every case, God followed suit with the coloration of sheep produced. Jacob explained to his wives: "God did not allow [Laban] to hurt me. If he said thus: 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: 'The streaked shall be your wages,' then all the flocks bore streaked. So, God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me" (31:7-9).

Depictions of this story are captured in many artistic works, some of which the reader shall see below.

Comparisons of Artistic Representations

This image above is a reproduction of the work of Nicolo Grassi (1682-1748). It illustrates the final parting of Laban (the bearded figure) and Jacob in Mizpah. One can see the chief figures pointing in opposite directions, indicating where their lands will be separated. I speculate that the dark figures are Laban’s sons that are separating his sheep, showed in the dark, from Jacob’s, showed clearly in light in the middle. The woman, kneeling at Jacob’s feet, I believe, is his wife, Rachel. She may be kneeling as a reference in the story that she concealed Laban’s stolen house gods by sitting on them. The original painting is oil on canvas painting, 63.2 x 92 cm (29.9 x 36.2 in.).

Nicolo (also known as Nicola) Grassi was born in Formeasco, Friuli, Italy, although some claim he was born in Carina. During his life he traveled and worked in Bavaria, then Dalmatia, until he

finally returned to Venice where he died. He is considered a master of the late-Baroque (or Venetian Baroque) or Rococo style of painting. During his life, he was recognized as one of few artists who depicted Jewish subjects with respect. Many of his works are displayed in Rovinj Osor, Trogir, Šibenik. The painting he is most celebrated for is ‘The Flagellation of Christ’, circa 1720.

This representation is the work of Pedro Orrente (1580-1645). It is titled, Laban Busca Los Idolos (Laban Searches for the Idols). This refers to Jacob’s flight from servitude to Laban with his wives and acquired wealth. In this story, Jacob’s wife Rachel stole Laban’s household gods and hid them under her camel saddle. When Laban found both Jacob and his idols missing, he, and his sons pursued Jacob and searched the family’s belongings. Rachel kept them from being found by sitting on the camel saddle.

An observer, will see Laban and his sons on the left half of the image and Jacobs family on the right. One can see Laban, holding a staff, looking down on Rachel, presumably accusing her of taking the household gods, while his sons search the family belongings. One can also see that Rachel is seated on a camel saddle and one of the household gods is beneath the saddle in shadow. Jacob, in red, can be seen protesting his innocence. Behind Jacob, one can see the signs of Jacob’s acquired wealth in sheep and camels.

I was unable to find a specific date for the creation of this work by Jusepe de Ribera (15911652), titled ‘Jacob With the Flock of Laban’. It is oil on canvas. In this work one can see Jacob looking toward heaven, where according to scripture, he receives God’s protection from Laban’s exploitation.

Jusepe de Ribera (January 12, 1591 – September 2, 1652) was a Spanish Tenebrist painter and printmaker, also known as José de Ribera and Josep de Ribera. He was also called Lo Spagnoletto ("the Little Spaniard") by his contemporaries and early writers. Ribera was a leading painter of the Spanish school, although his mature work was all done in Italy. Ribera was born Xativa, near Valencia, Spain.

The

titled

It was created in 1659 and is oil on copper. It is 26.7 x 35.2 cm. (10.5 x 13.87 in.). In the background on the left, one can see what may be a representation of the fortified city of Gilead. Laban, on the right, may be saying, "God is witness between you and me." Both men agreed that they would consider the Mizpah a border between their territories, and that they would not pass the watchtower to visit one another "to do evil" (Genesis 31:52).

Since that time, the Mizpah has come to connote an emotional bond between people who are separated (either physically or by death). Mizpah jewelry is often made in the form of a coinshaped pendant cut in two with a zig-zag line bearing the words "The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another" (Genesis 31:49). This is worn to signify the bond.

painting above, by ‘Claude Gellee Lorrain (1600-1682), is

‘Jacob and Laban, and His Daughters’.

Claude Lorrain; born Claude, called le Lorrain in French; was a French painter, draftsman and engraver of the Baroque era. He spent most of his life in Italy, and is one of the earliest important artists, apart from his contemporaries in Dutch Golden Age painting, to concentrate on landscape painting. By the end of the 1630s he was established as the leading landscapist in Italy, and enjoyed high prices for his work. His patrons were also mostly Italian, but after his death he became very popular with English collectors, and the UK retains a high proportion of his works.

The engraving above was created by Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815), in 1765. It is engraved in Sepia Ink and is 29.7 x 42.2 cm (11.67 x 16.58 in.)

As written above, Laban and his sons pursued the fleeing Jacob to retrieve his house gods, stolen by Rachel. It is just as likely that Laban wanted to return Jacob to his service. Above one can see Laban searching through Jacob’s belongings while an angry Jacob looks on. Rachel is seated on her camel saddle with the house gods concealed beneath.

Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815) was born in Florence, Italy. He was originally destined to follow the profession of his father, a gold- and silver-smith, but he manifested so much skill and taste in designing that he was placed under the supervision of two Florentine artists, including Ignazio Hugford and Giovanni Domenico Ferretti, who instructed him in painting. After devoting three years to that art, he went to Venice and studied engraving. He particularly admired the work of Joseph Wagner. He worked independently in Venice until leaving for Rome

in 1760. He settled in London in 1764, then moved to Lisbon 1802, where he died on 7 March 1815

Works Cited

Zaidan, Henry, 2017, http.www.painting-mythology.blogspot.com/2017/

Slot Webcommerce bv, et all, editors, www.encyclo.co.uk

S. Spencer, 1st Art Gallery Inc., www.1st-Art-Gallery.com

http://www.Wikigallery.org

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Genesis, Galatians

United Church of God, Beyond Today, http://www.bible.ucg.org

Bible Hub, et all, editors, http://www.biblehub.com

Supplemental Notes About Mizpah

Mizpah is an area of tremendous biblical significance. The Holy Bible records 42 occurrences where Mizpah is the site of important events:

Gen. 31:49, “for he said, "Yahweh watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.

Joshua 11:3, “to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah”

Joshua 11:8, “And Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and to Misrephoth-maim, and to the valley of Mizpah eastward, and smote them until none were left remaining to them.”

Joshua 13.26, “and from Heshbon unto Ramath-mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Lidbir;”

Joshua 15:38, “and Dilan, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel;”

Joshua 10:17, “Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. The children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah.”

Judges 11:11, “Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them: and Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh in Mizpah.”

Judges 11:29, “Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manas'seh, and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.”

Judges 11:34, “Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances: and she was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter.”

Judges 20:1, “Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to Yahweh at Mizpah.”

Judges 20:3, “(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, "Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?"

Judges 21:1, “Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, "There shall not any of us give his daughter to Benjamin as wife."

Judges 21:5, “The children of Israel said, "Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn't come up in the assembly to Yahweh?" For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn't come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, "He shall surely be put to death."

Judges 21.8, “They said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn't come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?" Behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly.”

1 Samuel 7:5,” Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you to Yahweh."

1 Samuel 7:6, “They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, "We have sinned against Yahweh." Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.”

Samuel 7:7, “When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.”

1 Samuel 7:11 “The men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them, until they came under Beth Kar.”

1 Samuel 7:12 “Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Yahweh helped us until now."

1 Samuel 7:16 “He went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.”

1 Samuel 10:17 “Samuel called the people together to Yahweh to Mizpah

1 Samuel 22:3 “And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said unto the king of Moab: 'Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.'”

1 Kings 15:22 “Then king Asa made a proclamation to all Judah; none was exempted: and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and king Asa built therewith Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.”

2 Kings 25:23 “Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men

2 Kings 25:25 “But it happened in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal seed came, and ten men with him, and struck Gedaliah, so that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah

2 Chronicles 16:6 “Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.”

Nehemiah 3:7 “Next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, that appertained to the throne of the governor beyond the River.”

Nehemiah 3:15 “The spring gate repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king's garden, even to the stairs that go down from the city of David.”

Nehemiah 3:19 “Next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another portion, over against the ascent to the armory at the turning of the wall.”

Jeremiah 40:6 “Then went Jeremiah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.”

Jeremiah 40:8 “then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, to wit, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.”

Jeremiah 40:10 “As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans who shall come to us: but you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.”

Jeremiah 40:12 “then all the Jews returned out of all places where they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much

Jeremiah 40:13 “Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,”

Jeremiah 40:15 “Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Please let me go, and I will kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: why should he take your life, that all the Jews who are gathered to you should be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish?”

Jeremiah 41:1 “Now it happened in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they ate bread together in Mizpah.”

Jeremiah 41:3 “Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with him, to wit, with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war.”

Jeremiah 41:6 “Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it happened, as he met them, he said to them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.”

Jeremiah 41:10 “Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people who were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the children of Ammon.”

Jeremiah 41:14 “So all the people who Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah.”

Jeremiah 41:16 “Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, to wit, the men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon:”

Hosea 5:1 "Listen to this, you priests! Listen, house of Israel, and give ear, house of the king! For the judgment is against you; for you have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread on Tabor.”

William F. Badè, Excavation of Tell en-Nasbeth, Palestine, Biblical Mizpah

On October 23, 2017, I went to the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, to visit the Badè Museum of Biblical Archaeology to view a collection of exhibits from an excavation of Tell en-Nasbeth, biblical Mizpah. I did so to deepen my appreciation for the time and culture when the events between Jacob and Laban occurred. The images below include oil lamps from the Second Temple Period (586 BC-70 AD), a limestone ossuary, and selection of painted Greek pottery. William F. Badè, professor of Old Testament literature and Semitic languages at Pacific School of Religion from 1902 until 1936, first founded the Palestine Institute (which later

became the Badè Museum) in 1927. It was intended to provide research opportunities for Biblical scholars and archaeologists, using the collection of archaeological that Badè brought back to Berkeley from the site excavated in Palestine.

At first glance, I thought these fascinating objects were some sort of drinking bowls or scoops for grain or flour, but they are lamps. Oil was placed in the bowl and a wick was placed in the narrow end to draw the oil into the wick. The exposed end of the wick was lit. The small size of the lamps made them portable.

Above are two examples of ancient ossuaries. On the left, a limestone box containing remains. The left is an entire room with remains and pottery.

Above and below, are samples of painted and unpainted pottery. Its possible that the unpainted pottery were regular household items that were regularly replaced.