Goyishe kopf!

Yeftah the Gileadite promised to sacrifice whatever came first out of his house to greet him, if only HaShem should deliver the Bnei Amon (Ammonites) to him.

As it says in Judges chapter 11, verse 30 through 31: "Va yidar yiftach neder la Adonai va yomer im naton titen et Bnei Amon be yadi" (And Yeftah swore an oath to the Lord, saying that if the sons of Ammon be delivered to his hand…), "Vehaya hayotse asher yetse midaltei beiti likrati be shuvi ve shalom mibnei amon ve haya la Adonai veha'aliti hu ola!" (Then it would be that whatever came from his house to greet his return in peace from the sons of Ammon would then, to the Lord, be offered as a burnt offering!).

Predictably, it was his only child that came rushing forth.


One might deduce from this that Yeftah had domestic issues (or confused his family with animals).
Also, according to a midrash, Pinchas the high priest, who could have annulled the vow, shares the blame for the death of Yeftah's daughter.

Goyishe kopf! Both of them!


There's an article (http://www.nrc.nl/kunst/artikel/1130997780902.html) in today's NRC Handelsblad, in which is mentioned that the painting 'Het Joodse Bruidje' (the Jewish Bride), by Rembrandt Van Rijn (sorry, can't find his blog anywhere - maybe he hasn't posted recently?), might actually show Yeftah grieving for and saying farewell to his daughter. As a new theory of what the painting represents, that is.

It is considered a bit of a long shot - many have identified the painting as showing Isaac and Rebecca. Also thrown into the ring as candidates over the years have been Abraham and Sarah, or Jacob and Rachel.

But according to journalist Bert Natter, who was researching material for a novel soon to be published about Rembrandt, the appearance of the woman in the painting matches that described in a tragedy by Rembrandt's contempory Joost Van Den Vondel - 'a woman dressed like a bride, glowing from the sunlight', who wears a pearl necklace.

I must say I like this new theory - the age differential between the two people in the painting seems more in keeping with the daughter of Yefta tale, and the facial expressions are more appropriate. Nor can I see any indication that in fact it represents a couple, either already or soon to be wed.

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Rembrandt Van Rijn (1606 - 1669): http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/rembrandt/
Joost Van Den Vondel (1587 - 1679):
http://www.bartleby.com/65/vo/Vondel-J.html

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