The rape of Dinah

I wrote this when I was at college, trying to see the shocking story of Dinah's rape through the eyes of the Shechemites.  It was so long ago, that Bosnia and Serbia were in the news, and you might detect references to the Balkans scattered through it.

They say that when things get really bad, even rape becomes a weapon of war. Well it wasn't like that in this case! It truly wasn't. We used to live in harmony with each other, they bought land from us and settled nearby – we welcomed them.
Yes I know it's different now. I suppose there's no way we can ever live in the same country as them any more. How can we forgive and forget when we were tricked, attacked when we couldn't defend ourselves, our young men at a time that they said was sacred? And that wasn't enough for them! They didn't just kill the soldiers, they came and slaughtered everyone. We were ethnically cleansed, and we didn't deserve it!

But didn't it begin with your prince doing them wrong?

You're suggesting that we started it, aren't you? Why don't you listen to the facts before jumping to your conclusions? Listen to me! I was there! That woman and I, we were actually friends. More than that, myself and the other women in Shechem, we were her only friends! We took pity on her! I don't suppose you knew that, did you?

Tell me about Dinah.

She wasn't liked at home. You see, her father Jacob had two wives. He loved one, but not the other. You know whose daughter she was? The unloved one, of course! This goes very deep, and Dinah told me the whole story.
Before they settled among us, her father had worked for his uncle, a shepherd called Laban. Laban had two daughters, one was beautiful, and one wasn't. Guess which one Jacob fell in love with! Laban struck a bargain that Jacob should work for him for seven years, and then get the daughter of his choice, But after the seven years, he tricked him. Under the wedding veil was the other daughter! Jacob never forgave him, even though he got his other wife in the end. He remembered that trick. and he's been playing it back ever since. If you listen to them say they‘re all one happy family. But I tell you they're not!
Anyone who was burn of Leah, the ugly one, is looked down on, even though they're older than the ones born of Rachel, who was barren for years. Old Jacob's bitterness has poisoned his whole clan. Dinah told me so! She was lovely! She really was good-looking. If anyone deserved to be loved, she would have been. But not in that family. No, they're all twisters in that family!
You don't believe me? I'll prove it to you. Do you know what Leah called her first three sons? The first one she called Reuben, which means “See, a son” because she thought her gos had seen her misery and taken pity on her. The next one, Simeon, his name sounds like the word “to hear” - she hoped her god had heard her husband didn't love her. And the third she called Levi, which sounds like “attached” - still hoping that Jacob would be come attached to her.
She was coming to see us, the day it all started. And our prince fell for her. And well he might! Alright, I don't excuse what he did, it was wrong to have sex with her without doing the courteous thing and asking for her in marriage. But to hear them talk, you'd thing Shechem was the Ripper! He didn't hurt a hair on her head, he loved her! He took her home, he looked after her, he treated her a thousand times better than they did.
But when he went to ask for her – to ask, mind, not to insist: - they bleated away about defilement and desecration. What an insult! Any of us women would give anything to be Shechem's wife – he was the most honoured of Hamor's sons – and here he was, offering them any price they cared to name, for a daughter they didn't want.
They insisted all our men would have to be circumcised. I've heard of the bridegroom getting circumcised, but everyone ?
Nothing was too much ask for Shechem. And anyway, at the time it seemed a good deal. This could be the of a fruitful alliance between Jacob's clan and us. Jacob was wealthy, having him with us
would have greatly increased our power. His sons even said that we could up as one race. Does that sound like we were enemies?
Anyway, all the men agreed to be circumcised. Everyone who was old enough for military service, “all who go out of the city gate” as we say. It was a solemn occasion. And a painful one, too! I remember we laughed – all the men will be walking around like cowboys for a week, we said.
Then they played their terrible trick. Simeon and Levi came like two whirlwinds and killed our men. They killed Hamor and Shechem and dragged Dinah off with them, The poor men were still in pain and no one could move fast enough to stop them.
But there was worse. Far worse. When the rest of the clan found out, did they execute justice on Simeon and Levi? Oh no! They came, all of them, and took all that was left. Women, children, animals, plunder. Whatever their bulging eyes saw, their filthy hands grabbed. I wish they'd killed me that day!
They left soon after that, they went south to Bethel. I suppose that shows they've got some shame for what they've done. So tell me, do you still think it was our fault?

What happened to Dinah?

How should I know? They took her away again, didn't they? I don‘t suppose they'll treat her any better than they did before.

If they didn't want her in the first place, why did they take her?

Ah. but who took her? Don't Forget it was Simeon and Levi, Leah's sons. Still trying to prove themselves to their father, I reckon. They know they're not loved as much as his favourite son. Have you seen the wonderful coat his father gave him? Mark my words – they won't stop at this. The precious Joseph will be next for the chop.

Yes but what did Dinah really want? Did she want to be with Shechem?

Why do you keep asking me about her?

Well...

Is it because I'm a woman and you think I ought to sympathise with her? What's her sadness compared to mine? Have you any idea what it's like to see everyone you love being butchered, to see your city carved up before your eyes, to sit there in panic wondering when your turn will come?

Yes, but surely Dinah was treated badly too?

Oh, my heart bleeds! Listen, whose fault do you think that was? Ask yourself this, who else but Shechem ever really loved that woman? If she had any sense, she'd have wanted to stay with him.

But, Simeon and Levi...

Are you joking?! They killed the man who wanted to be her husband! What sort of love do you call that?

Didn't you love Dinah?

No, I didn't love her. I felt sorry for her, because of the way she was treated. I mean, nobody ever stopped to ask her what she wanted in life. Nobody!
But I didn’t love her. After all, she was a foreigner. When I knew Shechem loved her, I was jealous. When the Israelites killed him, I hated her.

Why did you hate her?

Because I loved Shechem.