Dinah and Bilhah

The book of Jubilees fills in details about the deaths of Jacob’s concubine Bilhah and his daughter Dinah, neither of which is recorded in the Torah. The text links their deaths to the false reports of Joseph’s death that Jacob received from his other sons. Although Joseph’s mother is Rachel, it is Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah who expires upon hearing the news; Rachel has already died. Joseph’s half-sister Dinah (the daughter of Leah) is also reported to have died. The text explains that three occasions of mourning thus came upon Jacob (also called Israel) at one time. Jubilees records that Bilhah and Dinah were buried in the land of Israel opposite the tomb of Rachel, reinforcing the connection between their deaths and that of Joseph, Rachel’s son.