Quarrel
In a time of shifting legacies, Shem, the son of Noah, dies at the age of 600, marking the end of an era as Isaac and Jacob ascend into prominence. Isaac, banished by a fearful Abimelech, is given fertile lands in Gerar to survive the famine, where he reclaims his father Abraham’s ancient wells, battling the hostility of the Philistines. Through perseverance, Isaac finally finds peace at Rehoboth, where the Lord grants him space to thrive. Meanwhile, in Haran, a long-awaited blessing unfolds as Laban’s wife, Adinah, miraculously bears twin daughters, Leah and Rachel, to the joy of his sister Rebecca.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
GENESIS
45%
JASHER
30%
JUBILEES
25%
Exposition
J: 45 | Y: 2159 | Shem died
Genesis 11:11, Jasher 28:24
Y: 2165 | Isaac asked to dwell in the valley of Gerar
Genesis 26:16-17, Jasher 28:13, Jubilees 24:17
Rising Action
Abraham’s wells were filled with dirt by the Philistines
Genesis 26:15, Jubilees 24:16
Isaac had the wells re-dug
Genesis 26:18-19, Jubilees 24:18-19a
Climax
The herdsman of Gerar quarrel with the herdsman of Isaac
Genesis 26:20-21, Jubilees 24:19b-20a
Falling Action
The striving ceases
Genesis 26:22, Jubilees 24:20b
Resolution
The twins Leah and Rachel born
Jasher 28:26-29
Jubilee: 45
Year: 2159
Shem diedi
Genesis 11:11
11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
Jasher 28:24
24 And it came to pass in those days, in the hundred and tenth year of the life of Isaac, that is in the fiftieth year of the life of Jacob, in that year died Shem the son of Noah; Shem was six hundred years old at his death.
Year: 2165
Isaac asked to dwell in the valley of Gerar
Genesis 26:16-17
16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.
17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.
Jasher 28:13
13 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Behold the whole earth is before thee; dwell wherever it may seem good in thy sight until thou shalt return to thy land; and Abimelech gave Isaac fields and vineyards and the best part of the land of Gerar, to sow and reap and eat the fruits of the ground until the days of the famine should have passed by.
Jubilees 24:17
17 And Abimelech said unto Isaac: ‘Go from us, for thou art much mightier than we’, and Isaac departed thence in the first year of the seventh week, and sojourned in the valleys of Gerar.
Abraham’s wells were filled with dirt by the Philistines
Genesis 26:15
15 For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.
Jubilees 24:16
16 Now all the wells which the servants of Abraham had dug during the life of Abraham, the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham, and filled them with earth.
Isaac had the wells re-dug
Genesis 26:18-19
18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
19 And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.
Jubilees 24:18-19a
18 And they digged again the wells of water which the servants of Abraham, his father, had digged, and which the Philistines had closed after the death of Abraham his father, and he called their names as Abraham his father had named them.
19a And the servants of Isaac dug a well in the valley, and found living water,
The herdsman of Gerar quarrel with the herdsman of Isaac
Genesis 26:20-21
20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.
21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.
Jubilees 24:19b-20a
19b and the shepherds of Gerar strove with the shepherds of Isaac, saying: ‘The water is ours’; and Isaac called the name of the well ‘Perversity’, because they had been perverse with us.
20a And they dug a second well, and they strove for that also, and he called its name ‘Enmity’.
The striving ceases
Genesis 26:22
22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
Jubilees 24:20b
20b And he arose from thence and they digged another well, and for that they strove not, and he called the name of it ‘Room’, and Isaac said: ‘Now the Lord hath made room for us, and we have increased in the land.’
The twins Leah and Rachel born
Jasher 28:26-29
26 And in the fifty-sixth year of the life of Jacob, people came from Haran, and Rebecca was told concerning her brother Laban the son of Bethuel.
27 For the wife of Laban was barren in those days, and bare no children, and also all his handmaids bare none to him.
28 And the Lord afterward remembered Adinah the wife of Laban, and she conceived and bare twin daughters, and Laban called the names of his daughters, the name of the elder Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel.
29 And those people came and told these things to Rebecca, and Rebecca rejoiced greatly that the Lord had visited her brother and that he had got children.
i. It seems more likely that Shem died in 2159 (Jubilee 2095) rather than 2156 since Jasher 28:18 says Jacob learned from Shem and Eber for 32 years which would end in 2159, Isaac was 110 years old at the time of his death, and Jacob was 50 years old at the time of his death.
Exposition
J: 45 | Y: 2159 | Shem died
Genesis 11:11, Jasher 28:24
Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad 500 years, and begat sons and daughters. And it came to pass in those days, in the 110th year of the life of Isaac, that is in the 50th year of the life of Jacob, in that year died Shem the son of Noah; Shem was 600 years old at his death.
Y: 2165 | Isaac asked to dwell in the valley of Gerar
Genesis 26:16-17, Jasher 28:13, Jubilees 24:17
And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Behold the whole earth is before you; dwell wherever it may seem good in your sight until you return to your land; Go from us; for you are much mightier than we.” and Abimelech gave Isaac fields and vineyards and the best part of the land of Gerar, to sow and reap and eat the fruits of the ground until the days of the famine should have passed by.Â
And Isaac departed from there in the 1st year of the 7th week, and sojourned in the valleys of Gerar.
Rising Action
Abraham’s wells were filled with dirt by the Philistines
Genesis 26:15, Jubilees 24:16
Now all the wells which the servants of Abraham had dug during the life of Abraham, the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham, and filled them with earth.
Isaac had the wells re-dug
Genesis 26:18-19, Jubilees 24:18-19a
And Isaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. And Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.
Climax
The herdsman of Gerar quarrel with the herdsman of Isaac
Genesis 26:20-21, Jubilees 24:19b-20a
And the herdsmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours:” and he called the name of the well Esek (Perversity); because they strove with him and had been perverse with him.
And they dug another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah (Enmity).
Falling Action
The striving ceases
Genesis 26:22, Jubilees 24:20b
And he removed from there, and dug another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth (Room); and he said, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
Resolution
The twins Leah and Rachel born
Jasher 28:26-29
And in the 56th year of the life of Jacob, people came from Haran, and Rebecca was told concerning her brother Laban the son of Bethuel. For the wife of Laban was barren in those days, and bore no children, and also all his handmaids bore none to him.
And the Lord afterward remembered Adinah the wife of Laban, and she conceived and bare twin daughters, and Laban called the names of his daughters, the name of the elder Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel. And those people came and told these things to Rebecca, and Rebecca rejoiced greatly that the Lord had visited her brother and that he had got children.
This chart shows who was alive in years 2145-2172.
Years with question marks are estimates.