Serah is the daughter of Asher, son of Jacob. Rabbinic tradition suggests that she never died and has played a few significant roles throughout Jewish history, including telling Jacob the shocking news that Joseph was alive in Egypt and identifying Moses and Aaron as the redeemers of Israel from slavery.
Notable Sources
All Sources
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Serah's First Mention in the TorahTANAKH
Serah's First Mention in the Torah
TANAKH
At the end of the book of Genesis, when the children of Israel go down to Egypt, the Torah lists the 70 members of the family that made the journey. The appearance of her name on this list is the first mention of two mentions in the Torah.
An Older SerahTANAKH
An Older Serah
TANAKH
Serah the daughter of Asher is first named when the Israelites are going down to Egypt at the end of the book of Genesis. After the centuries of slavery in Egypt and the 40 years of sojourning in the desert, she is identified again as among the Israelites who survived a plague.
Serah's Long Memory TALMUD
Serah's Long Memory
TALMUD
At the end of the book of Genesis, Joseph made the children of Israel swear that when they left Egypt, they would take up his bones with them, but how would they know where to find them? The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Sotah tells us that they were only found with the help of Serah and her long memory.
Eternal LifeMIDRASH
Eternal Life
MIDRASH
Jewish tradition identifies a number of figures who never died. The medieval midrashic collection, Bereshit Rabbati, includes Serah bat Asher as one of the people who was granted eternal life.
The Hidden Bones of JosephKABBALAH
The Hidden Bones of Joseph
KABBALAH
A key figure in the Exodus narrative revealed the hidden location of Joseph's bones to Moses, aiding in the redemption of the Jewish people. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, recounts how Moses was able to fulfill Joseph's oath during the Exodus with this revelation.
Serah, Stepdaughter of AsherCOMMENTARY
Serah, Stepdaughter of Asher
COMMENTARY
Why is Serah included in the census at the end of the book of Numbers? Ramban, in his 13th-century biblical commentary, offers an interpretation based on the few other women also mentioned.
I Have Surely RememberedJEWISH THOUGHT
I Have Surely Remembered
JEWISH THOUGHT
The secret phrase "I have surely remembered" was a key to identifying the true redeemers of Israel. In his work Gevurot Hashem, the Maharal of Prague explains how Serah the daughter of Asher confirmed Moses and Aaron's legitimacy as Israel's redeemers from Egypt.
Deliverer of Good News MIDRASH
Deliverer of Good News
MIDRASH
How could the sons of Jacob deliver the news that Joseph was alive and well and had been living in Egypt all the years since they told their father that he was dead? The medieval midrashic collection, Sefer HaYashar narrates how the brothers turned to Serah to help them deliver this shocking news.