The Story of Dinah: fact vs. fiction

In this next part of the book we are learning Dinah’s Story, or some of it anyway. Some of part 2 is what we learn in the Bible about her and the rest is fiction, lots of fiction. In this section of the book particularly starting at chapter 3 of Part 2 we begin to recognize some of the story. Chapter 3 is where Jacob has decided to leave Laban and go to Canaan. Of course this story is a lot more dragged out in this chapter than it actually is in the Bible. We read about Jacob and his family leaving, Laban catching up to them and searching for his idols, Jacob preparing to meet Esau and the night he wrestles with God. This part where Jacob wrestles with God is just as brief as it is in the Bible but we have a different perspective. Because it is Dinah telling the story in the book, she doesn’t share with us what we know from the Bible about how Jacob wrestled with God. All she shares is how he stayed alone that night across the river and they found him later hurt. So in this part I can see why the author may have left out some details because Joseph might not have shared with Dinah what really happened. Then at the very end of chapter 3, Dinah mentions the dreams that her brother Joseph begins to dream which is a foreshadowing for what we learn later about Joseph in the Bible. I strongly encourage you after you read Genesis:29 from before, to continue reading all the way through Genesis:32 for this chapter of the book. This way you can have your head straight on fiction vs. non-fiction.

In chapter 4 Jacob and Esau reunite and much more is described than what actually happens in the Bible. Go back and read Genesis 33 to refresh your memory. Chapters 5 & 6 fill us in on some of what could have been of the life of Dinah as a midwife. Chapter 6, Dinah become a woman. I did not care so much for this part of the book nor the description of the rituals. Again another part of the book I could have shut or had left out and been just fine. In chapter 7 though we come to the part where Dinah goes to Shechem and the part that she is known for in the Bible. Again, the way the story goes in the book is different from our short version we get in Genesis:34. The story in the book is of romance and love until it comes to the part where the men of Shechem are murdered. In the Bible it does not quite paint the same picture. It is a interesting thought to imagine that Dinah's life was filled with love and not rape but we only know what the Bible tells us. And it is here that the story of Dinah ends in the Bible. In chapter 8 we have a bit of what was in the Bible which is when Rachel died, it’s just not told quite the way we are told originally.

This all brings us to part three which is when Dinah makes her way to Egypt and is a part of the book that isn’t in the Bible at all. I know this post has alot of back and forth between what is in the Bible and what is not. I don't feel inspired to write about anything that touched me in the story. If you have any input please share! If you feel you have the means to write a post e-mail me at abookjunkie@gmail.com. Thanks for reading and don't forget to go back and get that Bible out!


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