A fragment of the Book of Genesis tells about the journey of the family of Patriarch Jacob from Charan to Canaan (Gen. 31:1 – 33:20). The translation into English from of the Masoretic Hebrew text of the Torah was done by Isaac Leeser (1922LeeserI). «Most scholars agree that the texts now found in Genesis began to be written down sometime after the establishment of the monarchy in Israel in the tenth century BCE» (1992SuggsMJ_MuellerJR). A selected passage from an ancient work mentions for the first time in history the injury of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) of a person is mentioned (Gen. 32:26,33). In the original Hebrew source this anatomical element is referred to as «גיד» (gheed, gid) (Bereshit 32:33; 1923, 2004PreussJ; 2019ArkhipovSV_SkvortsovDV; 2020ArkhipovSV_ProlyginaIV). This term was recorded in writing long before Hippocrates of Kos (V-IV cent. BCE) who used the concept «νεῦρον» to designate LCF (1844LittréÉ). It is not known who exactly and why described the circumstances of its damage in the Book of Genesis. From our perspective, the composition was written around 1600 BCE, and the author consulted an unknown ancient Egyptian physician who composed the «Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus» (1930BreastedJH; 2023АрхиповСВ).
We have examined chapters 31 – 33 of the Book of Genesis from the
standpoint of modern medicine and have not identified anything supernatural in
them. It seems that at least this part of the Bible can be recognized as an
example of ancient Hebrew folklore.
The Book of Genesis, Chapters 31 – 33, translated by Isaac Leeser (1922LeeserI):
CHAPTER XXXI
1 And he
heard the words
of Laban's sons, saying,
Jacob hath taken
away all that
was our father's, and
of that which
was our father's hath
he gotten all
this wealth.
2 And Jacob
beheld the countenance
of Laban, and,
behold, it was
not toward him as
before.
3 And the
Lord said unto
Jacob, Return unto
the land of
thy fathers, and
to thy birthplace; and I
will be with
thee.
4 And Jacob
sent and called
Rachel and Leäh
to the field
unto his flock.
5 And he
said unto them,
I see your father's countenance,
that it is not toward
me as before ;
but the God
of my father
hath been with
me.
6 And ye
know well that
with all my
power I have
served your father.
7 And your
father hath deceived
me, and changed
my wages ten
times; but God
suffered him not to
do me evil.
8 If he
said thus. The
speckled shall be thy wages ;
then bore all
the flocks speckled : and if
he said thus.
The ring-streaked shall
be my reward;
then bore all
the flocks ringstreaked.
9 Thus God
took away the cattle of
your father, and
gave them to me.
10 And it
came to pass
at the time
that the flocks
conceived, that I
lifted up my
eyes, and saw
in a dream,
and, behold, the
rams which leaped
upon the flocks
were ringstreaked, speckled,
and grizzled.
11 And an
angel of God
spoke unto me in the
dream, Jacob : and
I said. Here
am I.
12 And he
said. Lift up
now thy eyes
and see, all
the rams which
leap upon the
flocks are ring-streaked, speckled,
and grizzled ; for I have
seen all that
Laban doth unto
thee.
13 I am
the God of Beth-el, where
thou anointedst a
pillar, where thou
madest unto me
a vow : now
arise, get thee
out from this land, and
return unto the
land of thy
birth.
14 And Rachel
and Leäh answered
and said unto
him. Is there
yet any portion
or in heritance
for us in
our father's house
?
15 Were we
not counted of
him as strangers? for he
hath sold us;
and he hath
quite consumed also
our money.
16 For all
the riches which
God hath taken from our
father, that is
ours, and our
children's; now then,
whatsoever God hath
said unto thee,
do.
17 Then Jacob
rose up, and
set his sons and his
wives upon camels ;
18 And he
led away all his cattle,
and all his
goods which he
had gotten, the
cattle of his
acquiring, which he
had gotten in
Padanaram, to go
to Isaac his
father into the
land of Canaan.
19 And Laban
was gone to
shear his sheep; and Rachel,
stole the images
that were her father's.
20 And Jacob
stole away unawares
to Laban the
Syrian, by not
letting him know
that he was
going to flee.
21 And he
fled with all
that he had;
and he rose
up, and passed
over the river,
and set his
face toward the
mount Gilead.
22 And it
was told to
Laban on the
third day that
Jacob was fled.
23 And he
took his brethren
with him, and pursued after
him a seven days'
journey; and he
overtook him at
the mount of
Gileäd.
24 And God
came to Laban,
the Syrian, in
a dream of
the night, and
said unto him, Take thou
heed that thou
speak not to
Jacob either good
or bad.
25 Then Laban
overtook Jacob; now
Jacob had pitched
his tent on
the mount, and
Laban with his
brethren pitched on the mount
of Gilead.
26 And Laban
said to Jacob,
What hast thou
done, that thou
hast stolen away
unawares to me,
and led away
my daughters, as captives taken
with the sword?
27 Wherefore didst
thou flee away
secretly, and steal
away from me ;
and why didst
thou not tell
me, that I
might have sent
thee away with
mirth, and with
songs, with tabret,
and with harp?
28 And (why)
hast thou not
suffered me to kiss my
sons and my
daughters? now thou hast acted
foolishly in so
doing.
29 It is
in the power
of my hand
to do you hurt
; but
the God of
your father spoke
unto me yesternight,
saying. Take thou
heed that thou
speak not to
Jacob either good
or bad.
30 And now,
thou wouldst needs
be gone, because
thou greatly longedst
after thy father's house ;
(yet) wherefore hast
thou stolen my gods?
31 And Jacob answered and
said to Laban, Because
I was afraid,
for I said,
Peradventure thou wouldst
take by force
thy daughters from
me.
32 With whomsoever
thou findest thy
gods, let him
not live ; before
our brethren seek
out thou what
is thine with
me, and take
it to thee ;
but Jacob knew
not that Rachel
had stolen them.
33 And Laban
went into the
tent of Jacob, and
into the tent
of Leäh, and
into the tent of the
two maid-servants; but
he found nothing ;
he then went
out of the
tent of Leäh, and entered
into Rachel's tent.
34 Now Rachel
had taken the
images, and put
them in the
saddle-cushion of the
camel, and sat
upon them ; and
Laban searched all the tent,
and found nothing.
35 And she
said to her
father, Let it not
displease my
lord that I
cannot rise up
before thee; for
the custom of
women is upon
me; and thus
he searched, but
found not the
images.
36 Now Jacob
became wroth, and
quarrelled with Laban ;
and Jacob answered
and said to
Laban, What is
my trespass ?
what is my
sin, that thou
hast so hotly
pursued after me?
37 Although thou
hast searched all my
goods,
what hast thou
found of all
the articles of
thy household ?
set it here
before my brethren and
thy brethren, that
they may judge between us
both.
38 These twenty
years have I
been with thee :
thy ewes and
thy she-goats have
not cast their
young ; and the
rams of thy
flock have I
not eaten.
39 That which
was torn of
beasts I brought not
unto thee ; I
had to bear
the loss of
it, of my
hand didst thou
require it, whatever
was stolen by
day, or stolen
by night.
40 (Where) I
was in the
day the heat
consumed me, and the
frost by night ;
and my sleep
departed from my
eyes.
41 These twenty
years have I
been in thy house
; I
have served thee
fourteen years for thy two
daughters, and six
years for thy
flocks : and thou
hast changed my
wages ten times.
42 Except the
God of my
father, the God of Abraham,
and the Fear
of Isaac, had
been with me,
surely thou hadst
now sent me
away empty ; my
affliction and the
labour of my hands
God hath seen,
and decided yesternight.
43 And Laban
answered and said
unto Jacob, The
daughters are my
daughters, and the
children are my
children, and the
flocks, are my flocks, and
all that thou
seest is mine ; but
as to my
daughters, what can
I do unto them this
day, or unto
their children whom they have
born?
44 And now,
come thou, let
us make a covenant, I
and thou; and
let it be
for a witness between me
and thee.
45 And Jacob
took a stone,
and set it up for a
pillar.
46 And Jacob said unto
his brethren. Gather
stones; and they
took stones, and made a heap
: and
they ate there
upon the heap.
47 And Laban
called it Yegar-sahadutha; but Jacob
called it Galed.
48 And Laban
said, This heap
is a witness between
me and thee
this day ; therefore
called he its
name Galed ;
49 And Mitzpah ;
for he said,
The Lord shall
watch between me
and thee, when
we are absent
one from the
other ;
50 If thou shouldst
afflict my daughters,
or if thou
shouldst take other
wives besides my daughters, when
there is no man with
us : see, God
is witness between
me and thee.
51 And Laban
said to Jacob,
Behold this heap,
and behold this
pillar, which I
have cast up
between me and
thee ;
52 Witness be
this heap and
witness be this
pillar, that I
will not pass
by this heap, and that
thou shalt not
pass unto me
by this heap
and this pillar,
for evil.
53 The God
of Abraham and
the God of Nachor shall
judge between us,
the God of their father ;
but Jacob swore
by the Fear
of his father
Isaac.
54 Then Jacob
slew some cattle
upon the mount,
and called his
brethren to eat
bread , and they
did eat bread,
and tarried all night on
the mount.
CHAPTER XXXII
1 And early
in the morning
Laban rose up, and kissed
his sons and
his daughters and blessed them ;
and Laban departed,
and returned unto his
own place.
2 And Jacob
Avent on his
way, and there met him
angels of God.
3 And when
Jacob saw them,
he said, This is a
host of God
; and he
called the name
of that place
Machanayim.
4 And
Jacob sent messengers
before him to
Esau his brother
unto the land
of Seïr, the country of
Edom.
5 And he
commanded them, sayong,
Thus shall ye
speak unto my
lord, to Esau,
Thus hath said
thy servant Jacob,
With Laban have
I sojourned, and
stayed until now.
6 And I
have acquired oxen,
and asses, flocks,
and men-servants, and women-servants ; and I
send now to
tell my lord,
to find grace
in thy eyes.
7 And the
messengers returned to
Jacob, saying, We
came to thy
brother, to Esau,
and also he
cometh to meet
thee, and four
hundred men with him.
8 Then Jacob
was greatly afraid,
and he felt
distressed ; and
he divided the
people that were
with him, and
the flocks, and
the herds, and
the camels, into
two bands.
9 And he
said. If Esau
should come to the
one
band and smite
it, then the
other band which
is left may
escape.
10 And Jacob
said, 0 God
of my father Abraham,
and God of
my father Isaac,
the Lord who
saidst unto me.
Return unto thy country, and
to thy birthplace,
and I will deal well
with thee:
11 I am
not worthy of
all the kindness, and
of all the
truth, which thou
hast shown unto
thy servant ; for
with my staff
I passed over
this Jordan ; and
now I am
become two bands.
12 Deliver me,
I pray thee,
from the hand of my
brother, from the
hand of Esau ;
for I fear
him, lest he
will come and
smite me, the mother with
the children.
13 And thou
saidst, I will
surely do thee good, and
make thy seed
as the sand
of the sea,
which cannot be
numbered for multitude.
14 And he
lodged there that
same night ; and
he took of
that which he
carried with him
a present for
Esau his brother :
15 Two hundred
she-goats, and twenty
hegoats, two hundred
ewes, and twenty
rams,
16 Thirty milch
camels with their
colts, forty cows,
and ten bulls,
twenty she-asses, and
ten foals.
17 And he
delivered them into
the hand of
his servants, every
drove by itself;
and he said
unto his servants,
Pass on before
me, and put
a space between
drove and drove.
18 And he
commanded the foremost,
saying, When Esau my
brother should meet
thee, and ask
thee, saying. Whose
art thou? and whither art
thou going? and
for whom are these before
thee?
19 Then shalt
thou say. They
belong to thy
servant, to Jacob ;
it is a
present sent unto my lord,
to Esau; and,
behold, also, he
is himself behind us.
20 And so
he commanded also
the second, also
the third, as
also all that
followed the droves,
saying. After this
manner shall ye speak
unto Esau, when
ye find him.
21 And say
ye moreover. Behold,
also thy servant
Jacob is behind
us. For he
said, I will
appease him with
the present that goeth before
me, and afterward
I will see
his face ; peradventure
he will receive
me kindly.
22 The present
went thus on
before him and
he lodged himself
that night in
the camp
23 And he
rose up that
night, and he
took his two
wives, and his
two women-servants, and
his eleven sons,
and passed over
the ford of
the Yabbok.
24 And he
took them, and
sent them over the stream,
and sent over
what he had.
25 And Jacob
was left alone;
and there wrestled
a man with
him until the
breaking of the
day.
26 And when
he saw that
he could not
pre vail against
him, he struck
against the hollow of
his thigh ; and
the hollow of
Jacob's thigh was
put out of
joint, as he
was wrestling with
him.
27 And he
said, Let me
go, for the
day hath dawned.
And he said,
I will not let
thee
go until thou
hast blessed me.
28 And he
said unto him.
What is thy name ?
and he said,
Jacob.
29 And he
said, Not Jacob
shall any more be called
thy name, but
Israel ; for as
a prince hast
thou power with
God and with
men, and hast
prevailed.
30 And Jacob
asked him, and
said. Tell me,
I pray thee,
thy name. And
he said, Wherefore
is it that
thou dost ask
after my name
? And
he blessed him
there.
31 And Jacob
called the name
of the place Peniёl : for I
have seen an angel of God face to face,
and my life
hath been preserved.
32 And the
sun rose unto
him as he
passed by Penuёl, and
he halted upon
his thigh.
33 Therefore do
the children of
Israel not eat
the sinew which
shrank, which is
upon the hollow
of the thigh,
unto this day;
because he struck
against the hollow
of Jacob's thigh on the
sinew that shrank.
CHAPTER XXXIII
1 And Jacob
lifted up his
eyes, and looked, and
behold, Esau came,
and with him
four hundred men.
And he divided
the children unto Leäh, and
unto Rachel, and
unto the two handmaids.
2 And he
put the handmaids
and their children
foremost, and Leäh
and her children after,
and Rachel and
Joseph hindermost.
3 And he
himself passed on
before them, and
bowed himself to
the ground seven
times, until he
came near to
his brother.
4 And Esau
ran to meet
him, and embraced him,
and fell on
his neck, and
kissed him; and
they wept.
5 And he
lifted up his
eyes, and saw
the women and
the children ; and
said, Who are these with
thee ? And
he said, The
children whom God
hath graciously given
thy servant.
6 Then came
the handmaids near,
they and their
children, and they
bowed themselves.
7 And Leäh
also with her
children came near,
and they bowed
themselves ; and after that came
Joseph near and
Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8 And he said,
What meanest thou
by all this
drove which I
have met? And
he said, To find grace
in the eyes
of my lord.
9 And Esau
said, I have
enough, my brother,
keep unto thyself
what thou hast.
10 And Jacob
said, This must
not be, I pray thee ;
if I have
but found grace
in thy eyes,
then do thou
receive my present
at my hand;
since I have
seen thy face,
it is as though I
had seen the
face of an
angel, and because
thou hast received
me kindly.
11 Take, I
pray thee, my
present that is brought to
thee; because God
hath dealt graciously
with me, and
because I have a
plenty
of all. And
he urged him,
and he took it.
12 And he said. Let
us depart, and
move farther, and
I will travel
near thee.
13 And he
said unto him.
My lord knoweth that
the children are
tender, and the
flocks and herds
with young are
a charge on me :
and if
they should overdrive
them one day,
all the flock
would die.
14 Let my
lord, I pray
thee, pass on
before his servant :
and I will
lead on slowly,
according as the cattle
that goeth before
me and the
children may be
able to travel,
until I come unto
my lord unto
Seïr.
15 And Esau
said. Let me,
I pray thee, leave with
thee some of
the people that
are with me.
And he said,
What needeth it?
let me only
find grace in
the eyes of my lord.
16 So Esau
returned that day on his way
unto
Seïr.
17 And Jacob
journeyed to Succoth
and built himself
a house, and
for his cattle
he made booths;
therefore he called
the name of
the place Succoth.
18 And Jacob
came in good
health to the city of
Shechem, which is in the
land of Canaan,
when he came
from Padan-aram; and he encamped
before the city.
19 And he
bought the parcel
of the field, where
he had spread
his tent, at
the hand of the children
of Chamor, the
father of Shechem, for
a hundred kessitah.
20 And he
erected there an
altar, and called
it, El-Elohe-Yisrael.
References
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Архипов С.В. Дети человеческие: истоки библейских преданий в обозрении врача. Обновляемое электронное эссе, снабженное ссылками на интерактивный материал. Йоэнсуу: Издание Автора, 2023; версия 1.0.0. (Arkhipov S.V. Children of Human: The Origins of Biblical Legends in the View of a Physician. Updatable e-Essay with Links to Interactive Material. Joensuu: Author's Edition, 2023; Version 1.0.0 – 259 p. [In Russian]) [books.google]
Keywords
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