Genesis 29-30

Jacob goes generally "to the east" and finds a bunch of herds. Lo and behold, they belong to Laban, his uncle. Even better, his cousin Rachel is really hot and is she's a shepherd girl. He helps her remove the well stone and hugs with tears. Presumably, he has actually said something, like "hello, I'm Jacob.". Otherwise, it is a little creepy.

She runs off to Laban to tell him that Jacob has arrived. Other than telling Laban that Jacob is here, she does not say anything until she starts having having kids.

Jacob agree with Laban that he will work for 7 years for his really hot, mute cousin Rachel. Laban agrees to this, but then disguises the eldest Leah on the wedding day and Jacob does not figure it out until after consummation, because it was their custom that the eldest had to marry first. Well, Laban did not mention that when he agreed in the first negotiation. Finally, Laban agrees to let him marry Rachel if he works another 7 years, which happens.

What I see in this - Jacob is tamed by his desire for Rachel. He blindly trusts Laban throughout the first 7 years and didn't see this coming. If it was such a "custom" then surely in 7 years he would have heard about it in the surrounding community.

It's also possible that Jacob has no choice and thinks that he bought himself 7 more years in happy exile before having to go back to Esau. He was told by Isaac to get a wife from this exact family. That's been done. So, 7 more years, no Esau, and then I get the hot sister too.

Also interesting, does Laban actually love Leah here? This move reeks of desperation that he must trick someone to marrying his eldest daughter. It sounds like she must be ugly if he can't marry her off in the first 7 years.

After both sisters are married to the same man, Leah starts popping out kids and Rachel cannot. Rachel uses several fertility treatments. First, she gives Jacob her handmaid Bila. That works, but is not entirely satisfactory given her reaction to Joseph. Second, she asks for mandrake plants. In the French Bible, the word was "apples of love". I was really confused by this and checked the English and it said mandrake plants. These don't seem to work. Leah stops having kids for a while and give Jacob her handmaid too. That works.

In all this time, Leah is lamenting how her husband does not love her and Rachel is begging for kids.

Finally, Joseph is born to Rachel and the story shifts back to shepherding.

Laban says that "my gods" told me that I am blessed on account the Lord because of you. That is really interesting. It sounds like Laban is not much of a follower of God, but is seeing that Jacob's God is stronger than his gods. Likewise, it likely means that his family, including Rachel, Leah, the handmaids, and even Rebecca were not initially followers of God. We saw Rebecca turn around by orchestrating the blessing to Jacob.

So, Jacob concocts a scheme to kind of take revenge on Laban. Jacob's payment for shepherding is striped and speckled animals. He puts a 3 day journey between him and Laban, so Laban can't see what Jacob is up to, and then Jacob controls the breeding of the animals to ensure that his flock increases. It sounds like he understands the genetics, but the way it is done, it sounds like the striped and speckled traits are genetically recessive.

After reading that, I'm in the mood for lamb chops.