And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. These verses from the book of Genesis tell the story of Tamar, who was pregnant with twins. As she was giving birth, one of the babies reached out his hand first. The midwife tied a scarlet thread around his hand to mark him as the firstborn. This act of reaching out first symbolized the baby’s eagerness to enter the world and claim his birthright as the eldest. The scarlet thread also signified the importance of birth order and the significance of being the firstborn in ancient societies. This story highlights the themes of inheritance, tradition, and the dynamics of family relationships that are prevalent throughout the Bible.
Image by Ai Junkie
