Rebekah’s Dying Wishes

⁶She said to him [Jacob—Ed.], “My son, throughout my entire lifetime I have noticed no improper act in you but only proper one[s]‌. However, I will tell you the truth, my son: I will die during this year and will not make it alive through this year because I have seen the day of my death in a dream—that I will not live more than 155 years. Now I have completed my entire lifetime that I am to live.” ⁷Jacob laughed at what his mother was saying because his mother said to him that she would die, but she was sitting in front of him in possession of her strength. She had lost none of her strength because she could come and go; she could see and her teeth were strong. No sickness had touched her throughout her entire lifetime. ⁸Jacob said to her, “Mother, I would be fortunate if my lifetime approached your lifetime and [if] my strength would remain with me in the way your strength has. You are not going to die but rather have jokingly spoken idle nonsense with me about your death.”

⁹She went in to Isaac and said to him, “I am making one request of you: make Esau swear that he will not harm Jacob and not pursue him in hatred. For you know the inclination of Esau—that he has been malicious since his youth and that he is devoid of virtue because he wishes to kill him after your death. ¹⁰You know everything that he has done from the day his brother Jacob went to Haran until today—that he has wholeheartedly abandoned us. He has treated us badly; he has led away your flocks and has taken all your possessions away from you by force. ¹¹When we would ask him in a pleading way for what belongs to us, he would again do something treacherous like someone who was being charitable to us. ¹²He is embittered toward you due to the fact that you blessed your perfect and true son Jacob since he has virtue only, no evil. From the time he came from Haran until today he has not deprived us of anything but he always brings us everything in its season. He is wholeheartedly happy when we accept [anything] from him, and he blesses us. He has not separated from us from the day he came from Haran until today. He has continually been living with us at home [all the while] honoring us.” ¹³Isaac said to her, “I, too, know and see the actions of Jacob who is with us—that he wholeheartedly honors us and does our wishes. At first I did love Esau much more than Jacob, after he was born; but now I love Jacob more than Esau because he has done so many bad things and lacks [the ability to do] what is right. For the entire way he acts is [characterized by] violence and wickedness and there is no justice about him. ¹⁴Now my mind is disturbed about his actions. Neither he nor his descendants are to be saved because they will be destroyed from the earth and uprooted from beneath the sky. For he has abandoned the God of Abraham and has gone after the impurity of the women and after the error of the women. ¹⁵You are saying to me that I should make him swear not to kill his brother Jacob. If he does swear, he will not persevere and will not do what is virtuous but rather what is evil. ¹⁶If he wishes to kill his brother Jacob, he will be handed over to Jacob and will not escape from his control but will fall into his control. ¹⁷Now you are not to be afraid for Jacob because Jacob’s guardian is greater and more powerful, glorious, and praiseworthy than Esau’s guardian. For like dust befor[e . . .] all the guardians of Esau before the God of [J]‌acob [my perfect and de]ar s[on.] But I lo[ve . . . do]es our wishes [ . . . ] my sister in peace.”

¹⁸Then Rebekah sent and summoned Esau. When he had come to her, she said to him: “I have a request that I will make of you, my son; say that you will do it, my son.” ¹⁹He said, “I will do anything you tell me; I will not refuse your request.” ²⁰She said to him: “I ask of you that on the day I die you bring me and bury me near your father’s mother Sarah; and that you and Jacob love one another, and that the one not desire harm for his brother but only love for one another. Then you will be prosperous, my sons, and be honored on the earth. Your enemy will not be happy over you. You will become a blessing and an object of kindness in the view of all who love you.” ²¹He said, “I will do everything that you say to me. I will bury you on the day of your death near my father’s mother Sarah as you have desired that her bones be near your bones. ²²My brother Jacob I will love more than all humanity. I have no brother on the entire earth but him alone. This is no great thing for me if I love him because he is my brother. We were conceived together in your belly and we emerged together from your womb. If I do not love my brother, whom shall I love? ²³I myself ask of you that you instruct Jacob about me and my sons because I know that he will indeed rule over me and my sons. For on the day when my father blessed him he made him the superior and me the inferior one. ²⁴I swear to you that I will love him and that throughout my entire lifetime I will not desire harm for him but only what is good.” He swore to her about this entire matter.

²⁵She summoned Jacob in front of Esau and gave him orders in line with what she had discussed with Esau. ²⁶He said, “I will do what pleases you. Trust me that nothing bad against Esau will come from me or my sons. I will not be first except in love only.” ²⁷She and her sons ate and drank that night. She died that night at the age of three Jubilees, one week, and one year [= 155 years]. Her two sons Esau and Jacob buried her in the twofold cave near their father’s mother Sarah.