Milcah and Iscah are two women we don’t often hear about. Yet, both played powerful prophetic roles. In fact, you may know Iscah by another name, Sarah.
Iscah is Sarah?
According to Genesis, the two were sisters. Genesis 11:29 explains that they are the daughters of Haran. They married brothers, Abraham and Nahor. This verse also happens to be the only place we see the name Iscah. The Midrash when attempting to explain why this named woman was only mentioned once says this is Sarah. She is here called Iscah because Iscah means she saw through the Holy Spirit, and Sarah was Prophetic.
The Gift of Prophecy in Milcah and Iscah
Yet this gift did not reside with Sarah alone. Her sister, Milcah, is said, in The Midrash, to be the mother of all prophets to Non-Israelites. This is because she is the grandmother of Rebekah who gives birth to Jacob. Milcah is mentioned many times throughout scripture as Rebekah’s grandmother. However, some scholars suggest that something may have been misinterpreted in the scripture and she may, in fact, be the mother of Rebekah. Still, it is clear that Jacob, who later becomes known as Israel, descends from her. For this reason, she is the mother of all prophets to Non-Israelites.
Milcah’s Descendants
Not much else is known of Milcah, except that she had many children. Genesis 22:20 tells us she had eight sons with her husband Nahor, who is the brother of Abraham. Her children were, as listed by the verse, “Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.”
Incestual Geneology?
Some reading this story may wonder if this genealogy does not go against The Law. After all, relations between an aunt and a nephew are forbidden. However, as it turns out, marriages between uncles and nieces were not forbidden. Thank you patriarchy! That is sarcasm, in case you didn’t catch it.
Remember the Prophets Milcah and Iscah
Though the text of The Torah mentions these women only in the genealogy, The Midrash assures us these women were mentioned by name for a reason. They were powerful prophets. They may, in fact, be the first of the Jewish prophets. These women are remembered because they had the gift of seeing through The Holy Spirit. Therefore, let us not forget the names Milcah and Iscah when we speak of the prophets. Let us not tell women they cannot be prophets. Rather, let us harken our ears and our hearts to the message women see through the Holy Spirit. We must remember that the first to hear the voice of the Ruach was two women. Ladies, let us be like Milcah and Iscah and see through The Holy Spirit.
Please stay tuned for the continuation of The Women in The Bible series. Please click this link and subscribe to the newsletter, to be alerted when new articles are published. Also, our guest blogger, Joseph Parks, will return next week with a lesson about how Ancient Egyptian Culture influenced The Torah.
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