The Gate of Heaven Read Free Page B

they noticed something even stranger.
    As the second baby emerged, Naomi whispered, “Why, the second is holding on to his brother’s heel!”
    â€œI have never seen the like!” Bethez exclaimed, breathless. “It must mean something, but I surely do not know what.”
    After the two women had cleaned and swaddled the babies and tended to Rebekah, Bethez said to Naomi, “Go bring the master in.”
    At the midwife’s invitation, Isaac rushed to his wife’s side, taking her limp hand in his own and kissing it tenderly. Even though the birth had been quick, he had suffered through his own fear of the midwives not showing up in time and the heart-wrenching helplessness of hearing his wife’s cries of pain. Now Isaac gently smoothed back her hair, damp and matted from the agonizing ordeal, and whispered, “Are you all right, my love?”
    Rebekah tried to raise her head to see what the midwives were doing but did not have the strength. “My babies…my babies…” she answered weakly. “Where are my babies?”
    Bethez turned and came to her side, holding a baby in each arm and smiling broadly. “You have two fine sons.” She helped Rebekah cradle the infants in her own arms, and the new mother’s eyes shone with joy and wonder at the tiny miracles snuggled against her. Bethez laid a hand on one infant and turned to Isaac. “This one with red hair was the firstborn, master.”
    Bethez watched as Rebekah held them gently, and then she added, “I don’t know what it means, but the second baby, the smaller one, held the heel of his brother as he came from the womb.”
    Rebekah stared at the old woman. Then she looked down at the two babies, the one red-faced, his body already covered with hair, the other smaller and paler. “You name the firstborn, husband.”
    â€œWe will call him Esau.”
    Rebekah smiled and nodded. The name, meaning “hairy,” was appropriate.
    Isaac stroked Rebekah’s hair and said, “Now you name his brother.”
    â€œWe will call him Jacob.”
    â€œJacob!?” Isaac started. “‘Usurper’? What a strange name to put on a baby!”
    Despite Isaac’s objections, Rebekah was sure of the choice. “His name is Jacob,” she whispered sleepily, pulling the two infants closer and shutting her eyes. “His name is Jacob.”

Chapter 2
    Ten-year-old Jacob’s most prized possession was an ancient game from Egypt called Hounds and Jackals. His brother had one called Senet. They had been gifts from their grandfather Abraham, who had acquired both games during his sojourn in Egypt decades earlier. Jacob had paid close attention to his grandfather’s instructions on how to play and, as a result, had become adept at both games. They were intricate and required intense concentration, but Jacob had an inherent ability to work puzzles and loved any game that required skill and cleverness.
    Esau, on the other hand, cared not a whit for either game, and he had finally traded his to Jacob for a bronze knife. Jacob cared little for weapons, so both boys were content with the bargain. Esau proudly carried the knife in a soft leather sheath, keeping the blade sharp enough to shave a man.
    On one particularly hot morning, Jacob had persuaded Esau to play Hounds and Jackals with him and had handily beaten him three times in a row. Unfortunately, Jacob was too preoccupied with his own success to notice that his brother was getting angry. “There, I win again!” Jacob crowed, whereupon Esau leaped to his feet.
    Esau was a head taller than Jacob and considerably stronger. He had defeated every other boy their age at games involving physical strength or agility. In a rage over losing, he kicked the board, shattering it and sending game pieces high into the air. Tiny sticks carved with jackal heads rained down around them. “I hate this stupid game!”