Interesting Facts

• Pelilah was taken as another wife by Terah, the father of Nahor and Abraham, in his old age.
• She conceived and bore Terah a son named Zoba.

Genealogy

• Pelilah married Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor. This makes her the stepmother of Abraham and Nahor.
• She gave birth to Zoba, who would be the half-brother of Abraham and Nahor.

Historical Context

The sources provide a timeline of events, placing the birth of Zoba in the forty-third Jubilee year, corresponding to the year 2059. This occurs after significant events in Abraham’s life, such as his journey to Gerar, the birth of Isaac, the weaning of Isaac, and the casting out of Hagar and Ishmael. Terah is described as taking Pelilah as his wife “in his old age”, suggesting this event occurred relatively late in Terah’s life, though the specific duration of his old age is not defined within these excerpts. It is mentioned that Terah died in the thirty-fifth year of the birth of Isaac, which is the year 2084. Since Zoba was born in 2059, Pelilah would have been Terah’s wife for at least the period between Zoba’s birth and Terah’s death, a span of approximately twenty-five years.

Narrative

Pelilah’s role in the narrative presented in these excerpts is brief but significant in the context of Terah’s lineage. Her introduction marks a late chapter in Terah’s life, indicating that even in his advanced years, he entered into another marital union and fathered another son, Zoba. This event expands the family of Terah beyond his well-established sons, Abraham and Nahor. While the texts do not elaborate on the circumstances of her marriage to Terah or her character, her presence adds to the complexity of Abraham’s extended family in Haran. The birth of Zoba also has chronological implications, as his birth year is noted within the Jubilee timeline. The fact that Terah takes another wife in his old age and fathers another child suggests the importance placed on procreation and the continuation of lineage within this historical context. However, beyond these foundational details of her marriage and the birth of her son, the provided sources offer no further narrative details or actions pertaining to Pelilah.