Rachel

Rachel (Hebrew: רָחֵל, Modern Rakhél, Tiberian Rāḥēl) (Arabic: راحيل‎) was the favorite of Biblical patriarch Jacob's two wives as well as the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. The name "Rachel" is from an unused root meaning: "to journey as a ewe that is a good traveller." Rachel was the daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah, Jacob's first wife. Rachel was a niece of Rebekah (Jacob's mother), Laban being Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin.

Marriage to Jacob

Rachel is first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 29 when Jacob happens upon her as she is about to water her father's flock. She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah’s brother. Jacob had traveled a great distance to find Laban. Rebekah had sent him there to be safe from his furious twin brother, Esau.

During Jacob's stay, Jacob fell in love with Rachel and agreed to work seven years for Laban in return for her hand in marriage. On the night of the wedding, the bride was veiled and Jacob did not notice that Leah, Rachel's older sister, had been substituted for Rachel. Whereas "Rachel was lovely in form and beautiful," "Leah had tender eyes". Later Jacob confronted Laban, who excused his own deception by insisting that the older sister should marry first. He assured Jacob that after his wedding week was finished, he could take Rachel as a wife as well, and work another seven years as payment for her. When God “saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb”, (Gen 29:31) and she gave birth to four sons.

Murder of Rachel Hoffman

Rachel Morningstar Hoffman (December 17, 1984 – May 7, 2008) was a 23-year-old Florida State University graduate, who was murdered while acting as a police informant in a botched drug sting that started on May 7, 2008. Her body was recovered two days later near Perry, Florida.

Sting operation and death

Hoffman was under drug court supervision for possession of 25 grams (0.9 oz.) of marijuana discovered during a traffic stop on February 22, 2007. On April 17, 2008,Tallahassee, Florida, police searched her apartment and uncovered 151.7 grams (or 5.328 ounces) of cannabis, and four ecstasy pills. Hoffman faced a possible prison sentence if charged and convicted on criminal charges related to the discovered drugs. Police attempted to persuade her to identify other marijuana dealers to avoid the charges. She refused. The police then pressured her to act as a confidential informant in a drug sting operation instead, in exchange for not being charged with additional drug charges. The purported goal of the operation was to buy 1,500 ecstasy pills, 2 ounces of cocaine, and two handguns, which was contrary to department policy, and using $13,000 cash in a buy–bust operation. Hoffman's family stated that all three buys were very out of character for her. She did not know the two men she was to meet, but was reportedly eager to cooperate with the police operation and made suggestions as to how the operation should be conducted. Two narcotics officers arranged for the drug buy at a specific location and were providing security for the buy. This was later deemed to be insufficient manpower to protect the informant and still apprehend the suspects.