Have you ever heard a story that just makes you stop and think, "Wow, people haven't changed much, have they?" That's how I feel about the story we're about to dive into from the Book of Jasher, specifically Chapter 33. Now, the Book of Jasher isn't part of the standard biblical canon, but it's an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18), and it fills in some fascinating details about familiar stories.
So, picture this: Jacob, after leaving his previous location, arrives in the land of Shalem, near the city of Shechem – a place in Canaan. He buys a piece of land for five shekels (a type of ancient currency), builds a house, sets up his tent, and makes booths for his livestock. He even names the place Succoth (סֻכּוֹת), meaning "booths" in Hebrew. Jacob and his family settle in for a year and a half.
One day, the women of the land head to Shechem to celebrate with the local girls. Rachel and Leah, Jacob's wives, and their families decide to join them. And here's where things get complicated. Their daughter, Dinah, goes along, too. She ends up catching the eye of Shechem, the son of Hamor, the prince of the land.
The text tells us that Shechem sees Dinah sitting with her mother among the daughters of the city, and he's immediately smitten. He asks his friends who she is, and they tell him she's the daughter of Jacob the Hebrew. According to the narrative, Shechem is so captivated by Dinah that he sends for her, takes her by force, and, well, "humbles her." The text is pretty direct. Afterward, though, he falls deeply in love with her and keeps her in his house.
Can you imagine how Jacob must have felt when he heard about this? The text says he sends twelve servants to retrieve Dinah from Shechem's house, but Shechem and his men drive them away. The servants return to Jacob with the news. Jacob, knowing what has happened, remains silent, waiting for his sons to return from tending the cattle.
Before the sons arrive, Jacob sends two maidservants to care for Dinah in Shechem’s house. Meanwhile, Shechem sends three friends to his father, Hamor, to ask him to get Dinah for him as a wife. Hamor questions his son's desire for a Hebrew woman, but Shechem insists, saying, "Her only must thou get for me, for she is delightful in my sight." Hamor, being a devoted father, agrees to help.
Hamor goes to Jacob to discuss the matter, but before he can reach him, Jacob’s sons arrive, furious about what Shechem has done to their sister. They see it as a grave violation, reminding their father that the Lord God commanded Noah and his children against robbery and adultery. They argue that Shechem deserves death for his actions.
Just then, Hamor arrives and proposes a deal: give Dinah to Shechem in marriage, and they'll intermarry, becoming one people living together in the land. He says, "Our land is very extensive, so dwell ye and trade therein and get possessions in it, and do therein as you desire, and no one shall prevent you by saying a word to you." Shechem himself then appears, pleading for Dinah and offering any dowry or gift they desire.
Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, respond deceptively. They say they need to consult their father, Isaac, before agreeing to anything, as they can’t act without his consent, as he knows the ways of their father, Abraham. This is all a ruse, of course, as they’re already plotting revenge.
After Shechem and Hamor leave, Jacob's sons discuss their options. They believe death is due to Shechem and his city because they violated God's commandments and defiled their sister. Simeon suggests a cunning plan: they will tell Shechem and Hamor that they can only marry Dinah if every male in their city gets circumcised. If they refuse, the brothers will simply take Dinah back. But if they agree, then while they're recovering from the procedure, Simeon and Levi will attack the city and kill every male.
It's a brutal plan, isn't it? But that's the world they lived in, or at least as the Book of Jasher portrays it.
The next morning, Shechem and Hamor return to hear Jacob's sons' answer. The brothers deceitfully tell them that Isaac agreed to the marriage, but only on the condition that every male in the city be circumcised, as Abraham commanded. The brothers emphasize that they can’t give their sister to an uncircumcised man, as it would be a disgrace. If they agree, they can intermarry and become one people. If not, they will take Dinah and leave.
Shechem and Hamor, blinded by Shechem's love for Dinah, agree to the condition. They rush back to the city and convince all the men to undergo circumcision, promising them that they will become one people with Jacob's family and that their land will prosper.
The next day, Shechem and Hamor gather all the men of the city, and Jacob's sons circumcise every male, including Shechem and Hamor themselves, and Shechem's five brothers. The deed is done. The text then concludes by saying that "this thing was from the Lord against the city of Shechem, and from the Lord was Simeon's counsel in this matter, in order that the Lord might deliver the city of Shechem into the hands of Jacob's two sons."
Wow.
What do we make of a story like this? It's a complex narrative filled with love, lust, deception, and violence. It raises questions about honor, revenge, and the lengths people will go to for family and love. It's a reminder that the stories we inherit are rarely simple, and often challenge us to grapple with difficult moral questions. And perhaps, it’s a reminder that human nature, in all its complexity, hasn't changed all that much over the millennia.