Interesting Facts

• Gera was among the first five sons born to Benjamin and Mechalia (Ijasaka).
• His birth took place in the land of Canaan.
• Gera is listed as one of the sons of Benjamin who journeyed with Jacob to Egypt.
• He is included in the genealogical lists of Jacob’s descendants who settled in Egypt.
• Gera is mentioned as the fourth son of Benjamin in the order presented in some genealogical accounts.

Genealogy

• Gera’s father was Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel.
• His mother was Mechalia (Ijasaka), the daughter of Aram.
• He had four brothers born before the family’s descent into Egypt: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, and Naaman.
• Gera also had additional brothers born in Egypt: Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. Benjamin named some of his sons after his lost brother Joseph.
• His paternal grandparents were Jacob and Rachel.
• Gera was part of the lineage of Jacob that migrated to Egypt during the famine.

Historical Context

Gera was born in Canaan during the time before the famine that prompted Jacob and his family’s migration to Egypt, an event facilitated by his uncle Joseph’s prominent position there. His early life in Canaan would have been within the context of Jacob’s growing family, adhering to their ancestral traditions and the developing identity of the Israelite people. The famine and subsequent move to Egypt were defining events, shifting Gera’s life to the region of Goshen, where the family settled under Joseph’s care. During the forty years that Joseph governed Egypt, Gera and his brothers would have experienced a period of security and prosperity, as the Israelites multiplied in the land. This era preceded a change in Egyptian governance after Joseph’s death, which led to the Egyptians ruling over the Israelites. Therefore, Gera’s life spanned from the pastoral setting of early Israelite life in Canaan to a settled existence in Egypt under Joseph’s authority, followed by the initial stages of the Israelite presence under a new Egyptian regime.

Narrative

Gera’s presence in the provided narrative is primarily within the genealogical records that list him as one of the sons of Benjamin who journeyed to Egypt with Jacob. The texts do not detail any specific actions or dialogues involving Gera as an individual. His significance in the broader narrative lies in his contribution to the tribe of Benjamin’s lineage and the overall growth of Jacob’s descendants in Egypt. When Joseph encountered his brothers in Egypt, Benjamin was notably absent initially due to Jacob’s fear for his safety, reminiscent of Joseph’s disappearance. Later, Benjamin did travel to Egypt with his brothers. While the interactions and emotional turmoil of the reunion narrative focus on Joseph, Benjamin, and the elder brothers who sold Joseph into slavery, Gera, as one of Benjamin’s sons, is part of the extended family that was ultimately reunited and settled in Goshen. The texts highlight the blessings bestowed upon Jacob’s sons and their descendants, including Benjamin’s lineage, indicating Gera’s inclusion in the future of the Israelite people. Despite the lack of individual actions attributed to him, Gera’s existence is an integral thread in the tapestry of the early Israelite sojourn in Egypt.