The Red Tent

Dinah’s home seems noisy and smelly when she returns, and her mother is upset. Jacob speaks with his sons about the rich city of Shechem, and they negotiate with its king, Hamor, for a parcel of land. They remove their tents, build ovens, and plant seeds, and the herds multiply. More of Dinah’s brothers take wives, young girls who “were of Canaan and knew nothing of the customs of Haran, where mothers are honored for strength as well as beauty” (169). Dinah’s new sisters-in-law observe the ritual of the red tent to please Leah, but never make sacrifices to Inanna. Her brothers Simon and Levi are discontented with Hamor “swindling” them.

When Dinah begins menstruating, she thinks “My childhood is over. I will wear an apron and cover my head” (170). Her mothers and Inna are overjoyed. They hold the ceremony of welcome, which includes serving Dinah wine, and painting and perfuming her. Rachel brings out the teraphim and chooses one to clean and polish. Dinah is taken to a special part of the house garden, where she lies on the ground so her first blood will return to the earth. Rachel says prayers and then uses the idol to “open” Dinah’s womb. For Dinah, the ritual is intoxicating.

Inna is present when Dinah wakes on the ground. She identifies the figure from Dinah’s dream as Taweret, a river-bound Egyptian goddess, protector of mothers and children. Meanwhile, Levi’s wife Inbu, who is shocked by the ceremony, tells Levi of it, who tells his father. It is Inbu custom for women to display blood shed on their wedding night as proof of “virginity”: “Men knew nothing of the red tent or its ceremonies and sacrifices,” so “Jacob was not pleased to learn of them” (174). He orders Rachel to bring the teraphim and he smashes them, then buries the pieces.

Leah still tries to teach her daughters-in-law the ways of the red tent, but they prefer the ways of their own mothers, and Jacob begins to resent the women’s time in seclusion. As for Dinah, she enjoys this time with other women.

Rachel and Inna earn reputations as skilled midwives, and Dinah joins them as an apprentice. The women of Shechem’s valley teach the three a birth song, with the repeated lyrics “Fear not” (177). When Inna is too old, Dinah officially becomes Rachel’s apprentice, and Rachel says she will make a good midwife.

Dinah longs to visit Shechem. Leah takes her to the market one day, and Dinah is fascinated by the variety of people; she thinks she sees Tabea. A messenger from Shechem asks the midwives to attend one of the king Hamor’s women, and Dinah accompanies Rachel. Dinah is disappointed to find the inner city smaller and dustier than expected, with a strong smell. The woman in labor is the king’s newest concubine Ashnan, and the queen, Re-nefer, visits.

Dinah meets Shalem, the king’s firstborn son, who is “golden and beautiful as a sunset” (183). When he smiles at her, she smiles back, feeling an agreement has been struck, “as though the bride-price had been paid and the dowry agreed to” (184). She feels like weeping after Ashnan’s baby is born, and she and Rachel leave. However, Ashnan asks that Dinah be sent to keep her company, and Leah allows it. Dinah does not care for being Ashnan’s servant, but is amazed by the ways of the city and royal women. One day, Re-nefer sends a bored Dinah to the marketplace, where she meets Shalem and finds herself just as attracted. Re-nefer thinks Dinah intelligent and strong, and sensed Shalem was equally attracted. He takes Dinah to his chamber, and they make love for days.

Dinah’s brother Levi feels he is treated rudely when he checks on her. Dinah imagines a less rude brother might have been received well, for Hamor thinks Jacob rich and wants marriage between their families. Hamor visits Jacob with a bride-price for Dinah. However, Jacob has heard Levi and Simon’s grudge against Hamor. He is indignant to learn that Dinah has had sex and scolds Leah for this shaming of their family. Rachel advises him to accept the bride-price and marriage, but he insists he must speak with his sons.

Bilhah visits and sees that Dinah is happy with Shalem. She reports this to Jacob, but his sons insist Dinah is a “harlot.” Simon and Levi in particular are angry because their recent efforts to become slave traders failed; they are now looking for another way to increase their fortunes. Simon claims Dinah was sexually assaulted by an uncircumcised “dog,” so Joseph jokes about Shalem being circumcised; Jacob takes this joke as counsel. He tells Hamor that he wants all the men of Shechem to be circumcised before considering Dinah’s marriage. Shalem agrees, saying he will honor the customs of his wife’s family. He tells Dinah that they will be married, and they make love in celebration.

However, Dinah is upset by the demand for circumcision and fears for Shalem. She gives him a sleeping draft for the pain, and they fall asleep. Later, she wakes to Shalem’s throat cut and herself covered in his blood. Simon and Levi abduct, gag, and send Dinah on the back of a donkey to Jacob. She later learns “My brothers’ knives worked until the dawn revealed the abomination wrought by the sons of Jacob. They murdered every man they found alive” (204).

Dinah’s mothers wash and tend to her, frozen in shock. Simon and Levi return with “weeping women, wailing children, bleating animals, carts creaking under the weight of stolen goods” (205-06). In a rage, Dinah howls for Jacob. He pretends he had no knowledge of what was done, but she sees his guilt. She curses him and her brothers, then walks away, feeling “alone and empty. I was a grave looking to be filled with the peace of death” (207).

Dinah walks to the gates of Shechem. After she leaves, Jacob takes a new name, Israel, so he will not be associated with the butchery at Shechem. Rachel dies giving birth to Jacob’s last son, as he flees the wrath of others in the valley; Jacob names the boy Benjamin. Reuben is disinherited when Jacob finds him lying with Bilhah. Zilpah dies of fever after Jacob finds and smashes the last household god, cursing it as the cause of his misfortune. Leah weakens and dies. However, Dinah sees none of this, as Reuben comes to fetch her, but she has already been rescued by the queen Re-nefer.