Interesting Facts

• Bela was one of the first five sons born to Benjamin and Mechalia (Ijasaka) [15, 22a, 65].
• His birth occurred in the land of Canaan.
• Bela is listed as one of the sons of Benjamin who went with Jacob into Egypt.
• Benjamin named one of his later sons after Bela, indicating the potential importance or memory associated with him.
• Bela is listed as the first among Benjamin’s sons in some genealogical accounts.

Genealogy

• Bela’s father was Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel.
• His mother was Mechalia (Ijasaka), the daughter of Aram, the son of Zoba, the son of Terah.
• He had four brothers: Becher, Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman.
• Bela was a grandson of Jacob and Rachel.
• He was among the descendants of Jacob who migrated to Egypt.

Historical Context

Bela was born in Canaan before the pivotal event of the famine that compelled Jacob and his family to migrate to Egypt. His early life would have been within the familial structure of Jacob’s household. The cultural emphasis on lineage and the growth of the family was significant during this period. The subsequent move to Egypt under the provision of Joseph would have marked a major shift in the lives of Bela and his family, as they transitioned from the land of their forefathers to a foreign land where they would eventually grow into a significant population in Goshen. The early years in Egypt, under the governance of Joseph, were a time of relative security and prosperity for Jacob’s descendants. Bela was part of this early Israelite community in Egypt, where they multiplied and maintained their familial and ancestral ties.

Narrative

Bela’s presence in the provided texts is primarily within the genealogical listings that document the sons of Benjamin. He is consistently mentioned as the firstborn or among the initial sons of Benjamin, highlighting his role in establishing the lineage of the tribe of Benjamin. While the narratives largely focus on Joseph’s experiences with his brothers, Jacob’s blessings and prophecies, and the interactions with the Egyptians and Esau, Bela himself does not have a specific personal narrative or any recorded actions or dialogues within these excerpts. His significance lies in his place within the family’s historical and ancestral record, as one of the foundational members of the tribe of Benjamin that later emerged from Jacob’s descendants in Egypt. The fact that Benjamin later named another son after Bela suggests a lasting impact or memory of this son within the immediate family, though the specifics are not detailed in the provided sources.

It is worth noting that another Bela, the son of Beor, is mentioned as the first king of Edom. However, this Bela is distinct from Bela the son of Benjamin and belongs to a separate genealogical line stemming from Esau.