15 Facts About Rebecca

Rebecca appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Rebecca's brother was Laban the Aramean, and she was the granddaughter of Milcah and Nahor, the brother of Abraham.

Rebecca commanded his servant to journey to Aram Naharaim to select a bride from his own family, rather than engage Isaac to a local Canaanite girl.

Rebecca continued to draw water until all the camels were sated, proving her kind and generous nature and her suitability for entering Abraham's household.

The servant immediately gave her a golden nose ring and two golden bracelets, which Rebecca hurried to show her mother.

Some events leading up to the marriage of Isaac and Rebecca have been institutionalized in the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony.

The bridegroom is led to the bride by two escorts and, seeing her, covers her face with a veil, like the way Rebecca covered her face before marrying Isaac.

Twenty years elapsed before they had children; throughout that time, both Isaac and Rebecca prayed fervently to God for offspring.

Rebecca was extremely uncomfortable during her pregnancy and went to inquire of God why she was suffering so.

Rebecca was not molested, but one day Abimelech looked through the window and saw Isaac "sporting" with her.

Rebecca therefore ordered Jacob to bring her two goats from the flock, which she cooked in the way Isaac loved, and had him bring them to his father in place of Esau.

When Jacob protested that his father would recognize the deception and curse him as soon as he felt him, since Esau was hairy and Jacob smooth-skinned, Rebecca said that the curse would be on her instead.

Rebecca vowed to himself to kill Jacob as soon as Isaac died.

Rebecca then convinced Isaac to send Jacob away, by telling him that she despaired of him marrying a local girl from the idol-worshipping families of Canaan.

Rebecca returned to Canaan with his large family, servants, and possessions.