Interesting Facts

• This individual is identified by multiple names across the sources: Bashemath, Bosmath, Mahalath, and Machlath.
• She is consistently identified as a daughter of Ishmael.
• She is also consistently identified as a sister of Nebajoth.
• She became one of the wives of Esau.
• She was the mother of Reuel, one of Esau’s sons.

Genealogy

• This woman was the daughter of Ishmael, who was the son of Abraham and Hagar.
• Her mother was likely Ribah (also called Meribah), Ishmael’s Egyptian wife, as Bosmath is listed as their daughter alongside Nebajoth, Kedar, Adbeel, and Mibsam.
• She was the sister of Nebajoth, and possibly also Kedar, Adbeel, and Mibsam if Bashemath/Bosmath are the same as the sister mentioned in Jasher.
• She was an aunt to the twelve princes born to Ishmael’s later wife, Malchuth [not explicitly stated, but implied through her being Ishmael’s daughter].
• She became one of the wives of Esau, the son of Isaac and Rebekah.
• She was the mother of Reuel, who had sons named Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

Historical Context

This daughter of Ishmael would have been born sometime after 2060, the birth year of her brother Nebaioth, and within the lifespan of Ishmael. She would have been raised in the nomadic setting of Ishmael’s family, likely in the wilderness regions where they dwelled. Her marriage to Esau occurred at a later point. Genesis [28:9] and Jasher [29:43] indicate that Esau married Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebajoth, after his earlier marriages to Canaanite women had displeased his parents. This act could be interpreted as an attempt by Esau to reconcile with his family and adhere to the expectations regarding marriage within their extended kin. The timing of this marriage is placed around the time Jacob departed for Mesopotamia. Thus, she became part of Esau’s household as he established his own family and moved to Mount Seir. Her life would have been influenced by the growing separation between the lineages of Isaac and Ishmael, even as familial ties persisted through marriages such as hers.

Narrative

The primary narrative role of Bashemath/Bosmath/Mahalath/Machlath in the provided sources is to establish a genealogical link between the families of Ishmael and Isaac through her marriage to Esau. She is mentioned as a daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebajoth, further specifying her familial connections. Her marriage to Esau is noted as occurring after Esau had already taken other wives who were from the daughters of Heth and Canaan, which had caused distress to Rebekah. Esau’s marriage to Mahalath/Machlath is presented as an additional wife taken “unto the wives which he had” or “in addition to his older wives”, suggesting she was not his first marriage. As the mother of Reuel, she contributed to the lineage of Esau, who is also known as Edom. While the sources do not provide specific actions or dialogues involving her, her existence and marriage serve to illustrate the complex interrelationships and alliances within the early patriarchal narratives. The different names attributed to her across the texts highlight potential variations in recording or transmission of these ancestral lineages. Her story underscores the intertwining of the descendants of Abraham through the unions of their children.