Texts · 23 · The Hero
Jacob's sword was mostly forgotten
Genesis portrays Jacob as a mild tent-dweller and clever trickster. Yet on his deathbed, he mentions land he seized 'with my sword and my bow,' an echo of a more warlike memory.
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When his sons massacre Shechem after Dinah's rape, Jacob condemns their violence. Approaching his estranged brother Esau's army, Jacob advances behind women and children. Just as later Zionists recovered memories the Rabbis had muted, the scribes chose which memories to keep.
Bible reference: Genesis 34:30; 48:22
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 368–369
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