LegendsandmythologiesinUnit31.SellOne'sBirthrightforaredbeanStewThisstorytookplacearoundthreethousandyearsago.Abraham,theforefatheroftheJewishpeople,movedwithhisfamiliestoCanaanfromUronthewestbankoftheEupharatesattheageof75uponinstructionsofJehovah.Afteryearsofacareerasashepherd,AbrahamhadasonwithhisfirstwifeSarah,whomhegavethenameIsaac.AsIsaacgrewup,hemarriedhiscousinnamedRebekah.Soonafterthisarrangedmarriage,Abrahamdiedbecauseofhisoldageandlongyearsofhardships.LaterRebekahgavebirthtotwinswhowerenamedEsauandJacob.EsauwasbornonlyafewminutesearlierthanJacob.YetitwasthesefewminutesthatestablishedEsauasheirtohisfatherinthepositionofafirst-born.ThismeantthatEsauwastoinheritmostofhisfather'slivestockandpastures,carryonthefamilynameandenjoytheprestigeofapatriarchuponhisfather'sdeath.Althoughtheyweretwins,thetwobrotherswerelittlealikebothinphysiqueandtemperament.Esauwasawell-builthairyyoungmanwhowasgoodatherdingandhunting.Inhisbold,easy-goingandnoisywayheenjoyedthefreedomofthewildness.Jacobtheyoungerone,ontheotherhand,hadaslenderbodyandlight-coloredskin.Hewasmild,andhelikedsittingathomebrooding.TheirmotherthoughtJacobwasabrightboy,andlovedhimmore.SheoftenexplicitlyexpressedherregretthatJacobwasnotgoingtobetheonetobeentitledtohisfather'sheritage.Thiswasnotadvisableatall.Mom’srepeatedremindingimbeddedgreedinJacob'smind,whodecidedtoconceiveaplottocheattheelderbrotheroutofhisrights.Onedayhisopportunitycame.Asusual,Esaucamebackfromhunting,soakedinsweatanddirt.Hewashungryandthirsty.IthappenedthatJacobhadcookedapotoffineredbeanstew.Hewasrighttherewaiting!Smellingthefood,EsaurushedtothekitchenandaskedJacobtogivehimsomestew."Please,mygoodbrother.Givemeabowl.I'mstarving,"hesaid."Allright.Butwhatwillyougivemeinreturn?"askedJacob."Anything.Justgivemethestew."NowEsauonlywantedtofillhisstomach."OK.Willyougivemeallyourrightsastheeldestson?""Certainly."Esauwasimpatient.HYPERLINK"http://www.birder8.com"www.birder8.com"Areyouserious?Willyousweartoit?""WhatgoodaretheywhenImus