Description

Reference No.: 78J/ 2791

Origin: Flemish - Tournai

Circa 1530

Provenance: Private Collection

Composition: Wool and silk

Dimension: W 1.75 x H 2.50

It has for register the history of Rebekah who is a character of the Genesis, the first book of the Bible. She is the daughter of Betouel, the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. She is one of the four matriarchs.

Tournai tapestry is the name given to the production of the numerous high-smooth tapestry workshops active in Tournai from the beginning of the 14th century to the beginning of the 18th century.

For a long time, the upholsterers of Arras or Tournai were the most productive. Tournai was a city of French political obedience until the siege of Tournai in 1521 and its annexation by Charles V.

One day, Abraham, aged, asks his oldest servant Eliezer of Damascus to bring back from his country a woman of his family for Isaac. The servant leaves for Aram with ten camels loaded with presents. There, when evening comes, he makes his camels crouch down by a well where he can see the women who come to draw water. He prays to God for a woman to give him a drink and to water his camels and sees Rebekah, an attractive virgin who fills his pitcher. He asks her for a drink and she agrees to give him a drink and then spontaneously fills the water trough to quench his camels' thirst. When the camels are thirsty, he takes a nose ring and two bracelets and offers them to Rebecca. Abraham's servant asks her who she is and if there is room in his father's house to spend the night. Rebekah gives him his identity and offers him hospitality, then goes to inform his family. Laban, Rebekah's brother, runs to Abraham's servant after seeing his sister's nose ring and bracelets and invites him home. At their home, Rebekah's brother Laban and her father Bethuel agreed that she should become Isaac's wife. Before eating, Abraham's servant asks to speak, explains the mission entrusted to him by Abraham, offers many presents to Rebekah and all his family and after that the meal can begin. Abraham's servant wants to leave the next day but Rebekah's family asks for ten days. Abraham's servant insists and Rebekah's family asks his advice and Rebekah agrees to leave. Upon their return, Isaac loves and marries Rebekah. Rebekah marries Isaac, who is forty years old.

Rebekah remains infertile for a long time but Isaac implores God and she becomes pregnant with twins. Her pregnancy is painful because the two children fight in her womb. God foretells to her that two nations will be born from these two boys and that the elder will serve the younger one. Rebekah later gave birth to Esau (the elder) and Jacob when Isaac was sixty years old. Rebekah loves Jacob, while Isaac loves Esau. To escape a famine Rebekah and Isaac went to Gerar to King Abimelech. Isaac makes Rebekah look like her sister, but Abimelech realizes this and rebukes Isaac for it. Isaac becomes rich but the Philistines are jealous of him, quarrels over the wells of water arise and finally Abimelech asks Isaac to leave. Midrashim identify this Abimelech to Benmelech, son of Abimelech, whom Abraham met. Later, Rebekah learns that old Isaac wants to give a blessing to his eldest son Esau and tells the younger Jacob.40 She helps Jacob, her favorite son, to usurp the blessing that Isaac was to give Esau. Rebekah dresses Jacob in Esau's clothes, covers his hands and neck with goatskin to imitate Esau's hairy appearance, and places in Jacob's hand the tasty dish and the bread she has prepared. Isaac takes Jacob for Esau and blesses him.

According to tradition, Rebekah is buried next to Isaac in the tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, in the cave in the field of Makpéla, which Abraham acquired as a burial ground from Ephron the Hittite.

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