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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.

Also known as: Israel

Lived: c. 1840 BC – c. 1690 BC

Belonged to: Genealogy of Jesus, Israelites (Hebrews), Patriarchs

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

↳ Hebron

Name & titles

BibleYounger twin of Esau, renamed Israel after wrestling with God at the Jabbok.

Genesis 25:26; 32:28

Where in scripture

Genesis Exodus Leviticus Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Micah Nahum Zephaniah Zechariah Malachi Matthew

After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
Genesis 25:26 — Born grasping Esau's heel

He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Genesis 32:28 — Renamed Israel

Therefore the children of Israel don’t eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.
Genesis 32:32

These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel.
Genesis 36:31

Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob):
Exodus 1:1

“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When anyone of you offers an offering to Yahweh, you shall offer your offering of the livestock, from the herd and from the flock.
Leviticus 1:2

He shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests; and he shall take his handful of its fine flour, and of its oil, with all its frankincense; and the priest shall burn its memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
Leviticus 2:2

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.

Genesis 25:26 Genesis 32:28 Genesis 32:32 Genesis 36:31 Exodus 1:1 Leviticus 1:2 Leviticus 2:2 Leviticus 4:46 Leviticus 5:2 Leviticus 6:2 Leviticus 7:2 Leviticus 7:84 Leviticus 10:4 Leviticus 11:4 Leviticus 13:2 Leviticus 14:2 Leviticus 15:2 Leviticus 17:2 Leviticus 19:2 Leviticus 22:1 Leviticus 23:7 Leviticus 24:1 Leviticus 27:8 Leviticus 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).