Genesis
24:29 ¶ And Rebekah had a brother, and
his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. 30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring
and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah
his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and,
behold, he stood by the camels at the well. 31
And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou
without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. 32 And the man came into the house: and he
ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to
wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him.
Laban’s excitement
is obvious as this stranger has dispensed some valuable items to his sister.
This must be someone important. When Laban invites Eliezer into his house we
see the practice of former times when the shelter for the animals was part of
the house. People in the ancient world up through the Middle Ages generally
shared part of their home with animals which were provided shelter and in
return provided heat at night and in the winter.[1] This is acknowledged in
several authorities who study the history of shelter. At one time and for
several thousand years herding peoples shared their dwellings with at least
some animals. Modern people prefer a more sanitary existence apart from nature so
even any sight of a bug sends some into a fit and while a cat, dog, or bird are
welcome companions they are often cast aside if their care becomes too much of
a chore for inside dwellers. I think it is important to understand that these
people were much different than we are in their manner of living.
[1]
Tim Lambert, “A Brief History of Houses,” http://www.localhistories.org/houses.html.
(revised 2016).
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