Rachel

In the Christian tradition

Rachel is the second wife of Jacob, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, who died in childbirth and whose tomb at Bethlehem became a major site (Genesis 35:19-20). Jeremiah's prophecy of "Rachel weeping for her children" (Jeremiah 31:15) is quoted in Matthew 2:18 about the Holy Innocents.

Rachel's figure carries weight across both testaments. Her death in childbirth at Bethlehem (Genesis 35) and the location of her tomb give her a continuing presence in the geography of the biblical narrative. Jeremiah 31:15 ("A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children") is read by Matthew 2:18 as fulfilled in Herod's slaughter of the Holy Innocents. The name has been in continuous Christian use, with particular popularity in English-speaking Protestant and Catholic families.