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{{Short description|Biblical figure}}
{{about||the ]ish wife of the Khazar ruler ]|Serach (Khazar)|the type of ]ian ]|Serekh|other meanings|Serach (disambiguation)}} {{about||the Jewish wife of the Khazar ruler Sabriel|Serach (Khazar)|the South Indian actress|Serah (actress)|the type of Ancient Egyptian cartouche|Serekh|other meanings|Serach (disambiguation)|Serah means for Star}}
{{Religious text primary|date=August 2011}}

'''Serach bat Asher''' was, in the ], a daughter of ], the son of ]. She is one of the seventy members of the patriarch's family who emigrated from Canaan to Egypt,<ref>] xlvi. 17</ref> and her name occurs in connection with the census taken by Moses in the wilderness.<ref>] xxvi. 46.</ref> She is mentioned also among the descendants of Asher in ] vii. 30. The fact of her being the only one of her sex to be mentioned in the genealogical lists seemed to the ]s to indicate that there was something extraordinary in connection with her history; and she became the heroine of several legends. '''Serach bat Asher''' was, in the ], a daughter of ], the son of ]. She is one of the seventy members of the patriarch's family who emigrated from ] to Egypt,<ref>] xlvi. 17</ref> and her name occurs in connection with the census taken by ] in the wilderness.<ref>] xxvi. 46.</ref> She is also mentioned among the descendants of Asher in ] 7:30. The fact of her being the only woman to be mentioned in the genealogical lists indicates her extraordinary ]—an outcome of the blessing for longevity she received from ]. She is also the heroine of several legends.


==In the Torah== ==In the Torah==
⚫ There are two mentions of Serach in the ]. The first mention occurs in ]:17, which begins: "These are the names of the ], ] and his descendants, who came to Egypt." This passage lists all of Jacob's sons, his daughter ], his grandsons, and one granddaughter—Serach. The verse states, "The sons of ]: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beri’ah, with Serach their sister." This sentence is repeated later in the ] in ]:30. Given that the Torah lists 53 grandsons and only one granddaughter, it suggests that Serach was a person of significance. Additionally, Serach is mentioned a second time in the ] 26:46.

⚫ There are two mentions of '''Serah''' in the ]. The first is in ], 46:17, in a passage that begins “These are the names of the Israelites, ] and his descendants, who came to ],” and continues to mention all of Jacob’s sons, his daughter ], his grandsons, and one granddaughter—Serach. The passage reads “The sons of ]: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beri’ah, with Serach their sister.” This sentence is repeated later in the Hebrew Bible in ], 1 Chronicles 7:30. One would suppose that, since the Torah mentions 53 grandsons and only one granddaughter, she was a person of significance.

The second time Serach is mentioned is in the ], 26:46, in the listing of Israelites who escaped from Egypt, where it simply says “And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serach.” Since Serach is mentioned both as Jacob’s granddaughter and also as one of the people who escaped from Egypt 210 years later, Serach is often referred to as the oldest woman in the Torah.


==In Sefer HaYashar== ==In Sefer HaYashar==
⚫ According to the ]ic '']'' ({{langx|he|ספר הישר}}), Asher married Adon bat Aflal ben Hadad ben Ishmael. She died before bearing children. Asher then married Hadurah bat Abimael ben Heber ben Shem, the widow of Malkiel ben Elam ben Shem. Hadurah bore one daughter to Malkiel, whom he named Serach. After Malkiel died, the mother and daughter returned to the house of Abimael. Upon Asher's marriage to Hadurah, he adopted Serach and brought them to Canaan to live in the house of Jacob. This is one of the sources that the ]ic tractate '']'' uses to show that an ] is considered the child of the adopted parent—as opposed to the ]—in ]. The text praises Serach for her musical skill, beauty, and intellect and notes she was raised as an Israelite.<ref>''Sefer HaYashar'' 45: 12–17</ref>
According to The Book of Jasher, Asher married Adon bat Aflal ben Hadad ben Ishmael. She died before bearing children.

⚫ Asher then married Hadurah bat Abimael ben Heber ben Shem, the widow of Malkiel ben Elam ben Shem. Hadurah bore one daughter to Malkiel, whom he named Serach. After Malkiel died, mother and daughter returned to the house of Abimael. Upon Asher's marriage to Hadurah, he adopted Serach and brought them to Canaan to live in the house of Jacob. This text praises Serach for her beauty and intellect, and notes she was raised as an Israelite.<ref>Sefer HaYashar Chapter 45, verses 12-17</ref>


==In tradition== ==In tradition==
⚫ A number of ]im have been written about Serach. According to one midrash,{{cn|date=January 2025|reason=The work should be cited here.}} Serach was not Asher's daughter but his stepdaughter. She was three years old when Asher married her mother, and she was brought up in the house of Jacob, whose affection she won by her remarkable piety and virtue.<ref>''Midrash Abot'', p. 45.</ref> The best known{{according to whom|date=January 2025}} of the midrashim about her tells of how she was the first to inform Jacob that his son ] was still alive.{{cn|date=January 2025}} Fearing that the news would be too much of a shock for the old man, however, she tells a praying Jacob, through playing the harp and singing in rhyme, that Joseph is "alive and living in Egypt, and has two sons, ] and ]." (''Egypt'', in ], is known as '']'', which rhymes with ''Ephraim''.) In return, Jacob blesses her, saying, "May you live forever and never die." According to the same midrash, Serach was eventually permitted to ], something achieved only by a scant few others.<ref>ib.{{Incomplete short citation|date=January 2025}}</ref> Further, when ] appeared to the elders of Israel in the ] 3:16 and 4:31, they went to Serach to confirm that he (i.e., Moses) was truly the ] of Israel. She recognized him by the code phrase "God has surely remembered" that had been passed down, according to the midrash,{{cn|date=January 2025}} from ] to ] and then to Jacob and his sons. At that stage of ], no one else knew the authenticity of these code phrases as authentically as Serach.


⚫ In ]:24, Joseph speaks the same words on his deathbed. Joseph makes his brothers swear that they will bring his bones from Egypt to be buried in the land of Canaan (Genesis 50:25). The Midrash{{cn|date=January 2025}}relates that Moses addressed himself to Serach when he wished to learn where the remains of Joseph were to be buried. Without Joseph's bones, the Israelites could not leave Egypt, so the ] entombed him in a lead coffin and cast it into an underground chamber in the ] to thwart their escape. Only Serach remained alive to remember the coffin's location, having witnessed the act while the rest of her generation had died.<ref>'']'' 13a; '']'' 11.</ref> According to '']'',<ref>'']'' 7:11</ref> Serach was the "]" who caused the death of ].<ref>] 20</ref>
A number of ] have been written about Serach.
⚫ According to one midrash, Serach was not Asher's daughter, but his stepdaughter. She was three years old when Asher married her mother, and she was brought up in the house of Jacob, whose affection she won by her remarkable piety and virtue.<ref>''Midrash Abot,'' p. 45.</ref> The best known of the midrashim about her tells of how she was the first to inform Jacob that his son Joseph was still alive. Fearing that the news would be too much of a shock for the old man, however, she informs Jacob while he is praying, and sings in rhyme that Joseph is “alive and living in Egypt, and has two sons, Menassah and Ephraim.” (Egypt in Hebrew is Mitzrayim, which rhymes with Ephraim.) In return, Jacob blesses her, saying “May you live forever and never die.” According to this midrash, Serach was eventually permitted to ], something achieved only by ] and ] and a ].<ref>ib.</ref> When Moses appeared to the Elders of Israel, they went to Serach to confirm that he was truly the redeemer. She recognized him by the code phrase "God has surely remembered" (Exodus 3:16 and 4:31) that had been passed down, according to the Midrash, from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and to his sons. These are the same words that Joseph speaks on his deathbed (Genesis 50:24)

⚫ Joseph makes his brothers swear that they will bring his bones from Egypt to be buried in the land of Canaan (Genesis 50:25). The Midrash relates that Moses addressed himself to Serach when he wished to learn where the remains of Joseph were to be buried. Without Joseph's bones, the Israelites could not leave Egypt, so the Pharaoh had Egyptians put him in a lead coffin and throw it into the Nile. Only Serach remembered where to find Joseph's bones.<ref>] 13a; ] xi.</ref> According to the Midrash,<ref>] vii. 11</ref> Serach was "]" who caused the death of ].<ref>] xx.</ref>

⚫ Another story in the Talmud relates that Rabbi Yochanan was discussing the parting of the Red Sea and wondered what the walls of water looked like. At that moment, Serach bat Asher peered into the window of the study hall and attested, "I was there. They were like lighted windows." According to another legend, Serah lived until the tribe of Asher was exiled by ], went with them into exile, and died there, nearly 1,000 years old. According to the legend, her grave is located in ], a small town about 30&nbsp;km southeast of ]. The site consists of a small synagogue and a huge cemetery which is probably 2,000 years old.


⚫ Another story, from the midrashic '']'',<ref>'']'' 11:13</ref> relates that ] ] was discussing the ] and wondered what the walls of water looked like. There was a discussion in the house of study ({{langx|he|בית מדרש}}, '']'') as to whether the sea took on the shape of latticework or brickwork. At some point in the discussion, Serach bat Asher peered into the study hall window and attested, "I was there. They were like lighted windows." According to another legend,{{which|date=January 2025}} Serach lived until the tribe of Asher was exiled by ], went with them into exile, and died there nearly one thousand years old. According to the legend, her grave is located in ], a small town about 30&nbsp;km southeast of ]. The site comprises a small ] and a large ], probably over two millennia old. Some consider her the guardian of Israel's communal memory.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
Some consider her the guardian of Israel’s communal memory.


==Cultural associations== ==Cultural associations==
* Edward Einhorn's absurdist comedy ''The Living Methuselah'', appearing in his book of plays entitled '''', gives another perspective on both Serach and ]. In it, Methuselah and Serach have lived to modern day, through all the major disasters of human history. * ]'s absurdist comedy ''The Living Methuselah'', appearing in his book of plays entitled ''The Golem, Methuselah, and Shylock'', gives another perspective on both Serach and ]. In it, Methuselah and Serach have lived to modern day, through all the major disasters of human history.


==References== ==References==
Line 32: Line 24:


==Resources== ==Resources==
* '']''. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901-1906. * '']''. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901–1906.
* *


⚫ ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
⚫ ]

Latest revision as of 21:36, 8 January 2025

Biblical figure For the Jewish wife of the Khazar ruler Sabriel, see Serach (Khazar). For the South Indian actress, see Serah (actress). For the type of Ancient Egyptian cartouche, see Serekh. For other meanings, see Serach (disambiguation). For Serah means for Star, see Serah (disambiguation).

Serach bat Asher was, in the Tanakh, a daughter of Asher, the son of Jacob. She is one of the seventy members of the patriarch's family who emigrated from Canaan to Egypt, and her name occurs in connection with the census taken by Moses in the wilderness. She is also mentioned among the descendants of Asher in I Chronicles 7:30. The fact of her being the only woman to be mentioned in the genealogical lists indicates her extraordinary longevity—an outcome of the blessing for longevity she received from Jacob. She is also the heroine of several legends.

In the Torah

There are two mentions of Serach in the Torah. The first mention occurs in Genesis 46:17, which begins: "These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his descendants, who came to Egypt." This passage lists all of Jacob's sons, his daughter Dinah, his grandsons, and one granddaughter—Serach. The verse states, "The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beri’ah, with Serach their sister." This sentence is repeated later in the Hebrew Bible in 1 Chronicles 7:30. Given that the Torah lists 53 grandsons and only one granddaughter, it suggests that Serach was a person of significance. Additionally, Serach is mentioned a second time in the book of Numbers 26:46.

In Sefer HaYashar

According to the midrashic Sefer haYashar (Hebrew: ספר הישר), Asher married Adon bat Aflal ben Hadad ben Ishmael. She died before bearing children. Asher then married Hadurah bat Abimael ben Heber ben Shem, the widow of Malkiel ben Elam ben Shem. Hadurah bore one daughter to Malkiel, whom he named Serach. After Malkiel died, the mother and daughter returned to the house of Abimael. Upon Asher's marriage to Hadurah, he adopted Serach and brought them to Canaan to live in the house of Jacob. This is one of the sources that the Talmudic tractate Megillah uses to show that an adopted child is considered the child of the adopted parent—as opposed to the genetic parent—in Jewish law. The text praises Serach for her musical skill, beauty, and intellect and notes she was raised as an Israelite.

In tradition

A number of midrashim have been written about Serach. According to one midrash, Serach was not Asher's daughter but his stepdaughter. She was three years old when Asher married her mother, and she was brought up in the house of Jacob, whose affection she won by her remarkable piety and virtue. The best known of the midrashim about her tells of how she was the first to inform Jacob that his son Joseph was still alive. Fearing that the news would be too much of a shock for the old man, however, she tells a praying Jacob, through playing the harp and singing in rhyme, that Joseph is "alive and living in Egypt, and has two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim." (Egypt, in Hebrew, is known as Mitzraim, which rhymes with Ephraim.) In return, Jacob blesses her, saying, "May you live forever and never die." According to the same midrash, Serach was eventually permitted to enter heaven alive, something achieved only by a scant few others. Further, when Moses appeared to the elders of Israel in the book of Exodus 3:16 and 4:31, they went to Serach to confirm that he (i.e., Moses) was truly the redeemer of Israel. She recognized him by the code phrase "God has surely remembered" that had been passed down, according to the midrash, from Abraham to Isaac and then to Jacob and his sons. At that stage of slavery in Egypt, no one else knew the authenticity of these code phrases as authentically as Serach.

In Genesis 50:24, Joseph speaks the same words on his deathbed. Joseph makes his brothers swear that they will bring his bones from Egypt to be buried in the land of Canaan (Genesis 50:25). The Midrashrelates that Moses addressed himself to Serach when he wished to learn where the remains of Joseph were to be buried. Without Joseph's bones, the Israelites could not leave Egypt, so the Pharaoh entombed him in a lead coffin and cast it into an underground chamber in the Nile to thwart their escape. Only Serach remained alive to remember the coffin's location, having witnessed the act while the rest of her generation had died. According to Ecclesiastes Rabbah, Serach was the "wise woman" who caused the death of Sheba son of Bichri.

Another story, from the midrashic Pesikta de-Rav Kahana, relates that Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai was discussing the parting of the Red Sea and wondered what the walls of water looked like. There was a discussion in the house of study (Hebrew: בית מדרש, beit midrash) as to whether the sea took on the shape of latticework or brickwork. At some point in the discussion, Serach bat Asher peered into the study hall window and attested, "I was there. They were like lighted windows." According to another legend, Serach lived until the tribe of Asher was exiled by Shalmaneser V, went with them into exile, and died there nearly one thousand years old. According to the legend, her grave is located in Pir Bakran, a small town about 30 km southeast of Isfahan. The site comprises a small synagogue and a large cemetery, probably over two millennia old. Some consider her the guardian of Israel's communal memory.

Cultural associations

  • Edward Einhorn's absurdist comedy The Living Methuselah, appearing in his book of plays entitled The Golem, Methuselah, and Shylock, gives another perspective on both Serach and Methuselah. In it, Methuselah and Serach have lived to modern day, through all the major disasters of human history.

References

  1. Genesis xlvi. 17
  2. Numbers xxvi. 46.
  3. Sefer HaYashar 45: 12–17
  4. Midrash Abot, p. 45.
  5. ib.
  6. Sotah 13a; Deuteronomy Rabba 11.
  7. Ecclesiastes Rabba 7:11
  8. II Samuel 20
  9. Pesikta de-Rav Kahana 11:13

Resources

Categories: