Traditional chronology: c. 18th–17th century BCE
Rebekah is one of the principal matriarchs of Genesis, the wife of Isaac and mother of the twins Esau and Jacob. Chosen through the story of Abraham’s servant at the well, she later plays an active role in securing Isaac’s blessing for Jacob, helping redirect the family inheritance and shaping the biblical lineage that continues through Israel.
Rebekah also worked as Matriarch. The historical importance of Rebekah also reflects the institutional and political setting of religious authority, where doctrine, patronage and public power were often closely connected.
In Angela Hunt’s Unwavering Heart, Rebekah leaves Mesopotamia to marry Isaac, accepting a household, land and faith she has known only through a servant’s account. Her early resolve to love her children without favour is tested when the twins Esau and Jacob develop opposing temperaments and when divine words about their future seem to conflict with custom and paternal preference. As the family divides, Rebekah must judge whether action in support of covenant is obedience or manipulation.