Here Rebekah obviously disappears from the stage of life. It has been conjectured that she died during Jacob’s sojourn in Padan-aram, whither she had sent him to escape the tragic consequences of her hasty conduct, for she is not mentioned when Jacob returned to his father, nor do we hear of her burial till it is incidentally mentioned by Jacob on his deathbed. She was buried in the cave of Machpelah, by the side of Sarah. After Jacob had obtained the theocratic birthright he fled from his father’s home in Beer-sheba to Padan-aram, or the city of Haran, in Mesopotamia. Haran was situated about four hundred and fifty miles north-east from Beer-sheba. If the young man walked thirty miles a day, for he performed this long journey over the mountains and through the desert on foot, it took him fifteen days. No doubt, as he drew near the well, before the city, he was footsore, dust-covered, homesick, and greatly depressed in mind, for the occasion of his sudden departure and the anger of his brother Esau were still fresh in memory. But what a quaint, picturesque scene of Oriental life is presented to our view. It is yet early evening. The shepherds, with their flocks, are moving from various points over the plain to one common centre. Three of the shepherds had already arrived, and Jacob salutes them, and asks, “My brethren, whence be ye?” And they answered, “Of Haran.” Then he inquired, “Know ye Laban?” They made reply, “We know him,” then, pointing to a shepherdess slowly leading her flock over the plain towards the well, said, “Behold Rachel, his daughter, cometh with the sheep.” While he was yet talking with the shepherds, Rachel drew near “with her father’s sheep.” Jacob saw his opportunity, for the great stone over the mouth of the well had not been removed, and, though it was the work of three men to remove the stone, he hastens to perform this task for the beautiful shepherdess alone, and does for her what his mother had done for Eliezer’s camels, watered her flock. Clearly, it was love at first sight. Rachel must have deeply impressed him. And what could have been her thoughts as she stood by her flock and saw this youth pour bucketfull after bucketfull into the stone troughs for her sheep? It was certainly an impressive introduction.