Illustration created for this project.
Jacob
Younger twin of Esau, renamed Israel after wrestling with God. By Leah, Rachel and their maidservants he fathered the twelve sons who became the tribes of Israel.
What we know — and how we know it
Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 2
Archaeology — physical evidence · 1
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 1
Family & lineage
BibleBy Leah, Rachel and their maidservants he fathered the twelve sons who became the tribes of Israel.
Genesis 35:23–26
Death & legacy
ScholarlyThe name Ya'qub-el is attested as a Bronze Age Semitic personal name, and the patriarchal customs in Genesis fit the 2nd millennium BC.
Ancient Near Eastern onomastics
Utilisateur:Djampa - User:Djampa — CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
ArchaeologyGenesis tells how Jacob, dying in Egypt, made his sons swear to carry his body back and bury him in the cave of Machpelah at Hebron with his fathers. The site is marked today by a massive stone enclosure raised by Herod the Great in the 1st century BC — the oldest such structure still in use — venerated as the Tomb of the Patriarchs ever since.
Cave of the Patriarchs (Machpelah), Hebron — massive Herodian enclosure wall (1st c. BC), ashlar masonry comparable to Herod's Temple Mount platform; architectural study by L.-H. Vincent, E. J. H. Mackay & F.-M. Abel, Hébron: Le Haram el-Khalil, sépulture des patriarches (Paris: Leroux, 1923); textual attribution cf. Genesis 49:29–33; 50:13
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Hebron
Name & titles
BibleYounger twin of Esau, renamed Israel after wrestling with God at the Jabbok.
Genesis 25:26; 32:28
Where in scripture
GenesisExodusLeviticusDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SolomonIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahMicahNahumZephaniahZechariahMalachiMatthew
Genesis 25:26Genesis 32:28Genesis 32:32Genesis 36:31Exodus 1:1Leviticus 1:2Leviticus 2:2Leviticus 4:46Leviticus 5:2Leviticus 6:2Leviticus 7:2Leviticus 7:84Leviticus 10:4Leviticus 11:4Leviticus 13:2Leviticus 14:2Leviticus 15:2Leviticus 17:2Leviticus 19:2Leviticus 22:1Leviticus 23:7Leviticus 24:1Leviticus 27:8Leviticus 28:2
…and 38 more mentions
Family
In their own words — 92 recorded sayings
“And Jacob said, First of all give me your birthright.” — Genesis 25:31
“And Jacob said, First of all give me your oath; and he gave him his oath, handing over his birthright to Jacob.” — Genesis 25:33
“And Jacob said to Rebekah, his mother, But Esau my brother is covered with hair, while I am smooth: If by chance my father puts his hand on me, it will seem to him that I am tricking him, and he will put a curse on me in place of a blessing.” — Genesis 27:11-12
“And he came to his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I: who are you, my son? And Jacob said, I am Esau, your oldest son; I have done as you said: come now, be seated and take of my meat, so that you may give me a blessing.” — Genesis 27:18-19
“And Isaac said, How is it that you have got it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord your God made it come my way.” — Genesis 27:20
“And he said, Are you truly my son Esau? And he said, I am.” — Genesis 27:24
“And Jacob, awaking from his sleep, said, Truly, the Lord is in this place and I was not conscious of it. And fear came on him, and he said, This is a holy place; this is nothing less than the house of God and the doorway of heaven.” — Genesis 28:16-17
“Then Jacob took an oath, and said, If God will be with me, and keep me safe on my journey, and give me food and clothing to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace, then I will take the Lord to be my God, And this stone which I have put up for a pillar will be God's house: and of all you give me, I will give a tenth part to you.” — Genesis 28:20-22
…and 84 more recorded sayings.
Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).
Journeys
The wanderings of Jacob
Fleeing his brother, serving in a far country, and returning transformed as Israel.
- Beersheba · Year 1 — Flees the anger of Esau
- Bethel · Year 1 — Dreams of the ladder to heaven
- Haran · Years 1–20 — Serves Laban twenty years; marries and prospers
- Peniel · Year 20 — Wrestles with God and is renamed Israel
- Shechem · Year 21 — Re-enters Canaan
- Hebron · Year 22 — Reunited with his father Isaac
- Egypt · Later — Goes down to Joseph in his old age
Places in their life
Photo: BASWIM — CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Photo: Francis Frith — CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Photo: Anonymous Russian manuscript illuminators, 1560-1570s Facial Chronicle (Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible) (in 10 volumes: pdf, pdf with translation)Public domain image — Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) — CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Photo: Oren Rozen — CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Photo: KennyOMG — CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
In art
