Wife–sister narratives in the Book of Genesis Wife–sister narratives in the Book of Genesis There are three wife-sister narratives in Genesis, part of the Torah, all of which are strikingly similar. The narratives occur in Genesis 12, 20 and 26. At the core of each is the story of a Biblical Patriarch, who has come to be in the land of a powerful foreign overlord who misidentifies the Patriarch's wife as the Patriarch's sister, and consequently attempts to wed her himself. The overlord later finds out his error. Two of the three stories are similar in many other details, including the ruler's name, Abimelech. The first episode
Wife–sister narratives in the Book of Genesis first account. According to critics, such as T.D. Alexander, there are different theories about the sources but none can be proven to be flawless. Additionally, scholars have also argued that the three tales are not true historic occurrences, rather purposeful tales. According to Niditch, there is one wife-sister story that has many different versions, but there are inconsistencies and they all refer back to the same story. Niditch associates the wife-sister entries as potential folklore written to target a particular audience and in hopes of conveying a message regarding the sinful nature of deception and adultery. The three wife-sister narratives