The Red Tent

Dinah is a figure in the Bible whose life is only briefly and indirectly referenced in the Book of Genesis, which primarily focuses on her father Jacob and his twelve sons. This miniseries presents her story through her own voice, offering a broader look at the traditions and challenges of ancient womanhood. The narrative begins with Dinah’s four mothers—Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah, the wives of Jacob—who love her and provide her with gifts to support her through a laborious childhood, a vocation in midwifery, and a new life in a distant land. Through Dinah’s perspective, the series explores the red tent, a sacred space where women were secluded during times of birth, menstruation, and illness; her early exposure to the religious and sexual customs of her tribe; the courtship of Jacob with his four wives; the complexities of caravans, farmers, shepherds, and slaves; the events of love and death in Shechem; the rise of her half-brother Joseph in Egypt; and, notably, her marriage to Shechem and its violent aftermath.