Rebekah biblical figure Also known as: Rebecca, Rivka, Rivqah Written by Charles Preston Charles Preston is Associate Editor for Religion at Encyclopædia Britannica. Charles Preston Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 13, 2026 •History Rebekah, in the Hebrew Bible, matriarch who is the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob, both key patriarchs. She is also the mother of Jacob’s twin brother, Esau. She is the second Hebrew matriarch after Sarah, the wife of Abraham. For some readers her account illustrates women’s agency in a text historically read as focused on male figures. Rebekah is the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham’s brother; thus...

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