Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/299

Rh Joseph the Dreamer

281

from Ramah, upon the western l)order of Ephraini, an l^phraLikewise Jeremiah XXX I, 15 locates the grave of Rachel at Ramah as does also I Samuel X, 2. This, however, accords but ill with the statement of v. 19, that Ephrath was merely another name for Bethlehem, an important city six miles south of Jerusalem, and which would accordingly locate the burial-place of Rachel in the canie thite.

vicinity

of this

The

town.

solution

of

this

difificulty

is

that there

were probably in ancient Israel two places called Ephrath, one between Bethel and Ramah, and the other Bethlehem itself. The real V 19 therefore burial-place of Rachel was near the former place. records a mistaken tradition, due to confusing Bethlehem-Ephrath (cf. Micah V. 1) with the more northern Ephrath. V. 27. ]lamre was the name of the grove near Hebron where Abraham had dwelt (XIII. 18). This verse does not agree altogether with previous passages, which represent Isaac as dwelling, not at

Mamre. but

XXXVI

at

Beer-sheba

descendants

ditional

(XXVI,

23-33;

XXVTII,

10).

contains the genealogical table of the Edomites the tra-

tribal leaders.

of

Esau,

The chapter

is

their various tribes and clans, and probably inserted here because of the

natural interest of ancient Israel in Esau, the brother of Jacob, and in the Edomites their remote kinsmen.

V. 31 of

its

is

of particular historical and literary significance because

obvious

reference

to

Saul,

the

first

king

of

Israel.

This

reference proves absolutely that this chapter at least could not have

been written by Moses, as tradition tells, but must have been composed, at the very earliest, some time after the reign of Saul. \n