Rebekah Redux: The View from Jubilees

Based on her actions as depicted in Genesis 27, events often characterized as the “theft of the blessing,” the enduring memory most readers have of biblical Rebekah is that of a manipulative, scheming woman who undermines her husband's wishes. The Early Extra-biblical Book of Jubilees presents a very different figure, one that rights, and rewrites Rebekah's reputation. In Jubilees, Rebekah has a much more prominent and positive role. This article addresses the presentation of Rebekah in Jubilees and compares and contrasts her portrayal there with the way that she is featured in Genesis.